


New Avengers

by Ana (Anafandom)



Series: Second Chances [17]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Gen, Sokovia Accords
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:20:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22588579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anafandom/pseuds/Ana
Summary: The Avengers get some new official members.
Relationships: Loki & Thor (Marvel)
Series: Second Chances [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/717477
Comments: 420
Kudos: 835





	1. Prologue - Candidates

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone. New story, hooray! Even though it's short, it took me ages to finish it. But now it's done, so here it is. Still not the Thanos one, though, sorry. Hope you like it.
> 
> Huge thanks to Hawkwind1980 for the idea for this story.
> 
> Posting this in celebration of another year in fandom. Man, it's hard to believe it's been three years since I posted my first MCU fic here... Thanks everyone for your continuous support. :)

Preparations for planetary defenses were going as well as could be expected, Tony thought. They had satellites, they had shelters, they had a general plan for mobilizing and coordinating local forces in the event of a new invasion. What they did not have, however, was more Avengers.

Tony had been looking for powered people to approach since before the Civil War with little success. The best he’d found had been Peter, who, as a minor, was not eligible for the position (and Tony was still kicking himself for taking the kid to Germany for that clusterfuck). There were a few others that had popped up in connection with some weird event or another, but they had gone to ground pretty quickly.

Immediately after the Civil War, Tony could understand those sorts of people wanting to keep a low profile. The general public had _not_ been kind to the Enhanced thanks to Rogers’s actions. Now, however, enough time had passed – and ‘team Cap’ had all been caught and convicted – that public opinion had shifted. Still, no one other than Strange and his order had, so far, stepped forward, and Tony was starting to get worried. If Thanos did come with another army, Earth would be screwed.

That was why the Accords Panel had decided that a “call to arms” was necessary, and Tony, as the most famous Avenger slash superhero, was chosen to deliver it.

He stood in a podium in the Avengers Compound – still empty of actual Avengers –, a sea of reporters and cameras before him. A little behind him stood the rest of the Avengers, presenting a united front.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming.” Tony had note cards in his hand, but, as always, he ignored them. He already knew what to say. “And for those watching this in the US or in other parts of the world, thank you for listening as well.” This event was being broadcast live everywhere. The Avengers should not be restricted to the US, after all. Multiple teams of translators were no doubt being used to make sure the message reached as many people as possible.

“As you all know, in 2012 we discovered that we are not alone in the universe, and we discovered it in the worst possible way: an alien army came to our planet with the intent to cause us harm. We were able to drive them off and keep the world from being overrun with those creatures. That was when the Avengers were first assembled.” And what a disaster it had turned out to be. Tony would have been better if Iron Man had remained solo. Hell, the world might have benefitted from that as well, given how things had ended up.

“The initial idea came from SHIELD, and their pitch was to bring together a group of extraordinary people to fight the battles regular forces would be unable to. An alien invasion fit the bill and thus a few of those so-called extraordinary people came together, myself among them. Since then, a lot has happened. A lot has changed. A lot of mistakes were made, as is usually the case whenever we start something new. Still, that idea is one that, in my mind, remains important. The world needs defenders. We cannot be sure that another invasion will never happen. We need to be prepared.” Not that the ExVengers had ever listened to him. Tony still couldn’t believe the crap Rogers – supposed master strategist – had spewed when asked how he planned to defeat a second invasion. ‘Together’. Yeah, right.

“The way the Avengers operated before proved to be unsustainable, so a new system of organization has taken its place with the United Nations’ Sokovia Accords, and the creation of a special Panel to oversee the Avengers. Under its guidelines, the New Avengers were formed.” He gestured to each one in turn. “The current team consists of myself as Iron Man, Colonel James Rhodes as War Machine, Dr Bruce Banner as the Hulk, Ms Hope van Dyne as Wasp, Vision, Dr Stephen Strange and the Iron Legion.” He took a breath and turned back to the camera. “It is not enough. The world is too vast and the potential threats too great. We need more people. People who are willing to step up and help us defend this planet.

“It is not an easy job, I know. There are risks. We don’t know what we will be facing and what new problems we’ll encounter. Still, I believe it is a worthy cause and I hope that others will come and stand with us in this endeavor.

“We are here today, therefore, to make an appeal. An appeal to those who might be able to help us. To those who are Enhanced, either biologically or through technology, to join us. I understand that some of you might be afraid to come forward. Afraid to be known and exploited. We know that this has, unfortunately, happened in the past. As much as I would like to, I cannot guarantee that it will be completely smooth sailing now, but I promise we will do our best to keep everyone who volunteers – and their loved ones – safe.

“If you have abilities that could aid us and if you want to be part of the Avengers, please contact us. You can a find all information on how to do that on our official website. All applications will be handled with the utmost secrecy and all information provided will be kept strictly confidential.

“The Accords Panel, along with the current Avengers, will then review these applications and begin the selection process, which will involve several steps, all of which are also described on the website. An application is not a guarantee of admission. All candidates must undergo evaluations to determine their suitability. As I’m sure you all understand, we need stable, dependable people.” No more taking people on faith – or whatever the hell Rogers was thinking with Maximoff – or people with questionable pasts.

“So, if you want to use your abilities to help defend our planet and its people, please come forward. We would love to have you.

“Thank you.”

 _The net is cast. Now let’s see what we can get_.

*****

While part of the Accords Panel went through the applications for their possible new recruits, another group was handling those candidates whose processes were already underway: Loki, Thor, Friday and T’Challa.

Loki’s one-year probation was close to the end, so he had formally petitioned membership to the Avengers. Even without his magic, Loki was still considered an Enhanced person, more or less on par with a super soldier. Strength wasn’t all they were interested in, but it would be useful. And once the power-suppressing bracelets were removed, he would have even more to contribute. A powerful sorcerer was a very good thing to have, particularly one who also had a great deal of knowledge of the wider universe and plenty of combat/strategy experience.

Thor had spent the last few months on Earth working on his relationship with Loki and dealing with his problematic views and upbringing. Like Loki, he had begun to see a therapist. His progress seemed to be going more slowly than Loki’s, but it _was_ going. Introspection did not come naturally to Thor, yet it was clear he was trying his best.

As Prince and future King of Asgard, however, his position as a possible Avenger was a bit tricky. There could be some political conflict of interest involved, not to mention his responsibilities to Asgard and its current king (who Tony thought was a complete asshole who would no doubt let the Earth burn if it helped Asgard). Still, he had made a formal request, so the Panel had to deliberate on it.

Friday had done a great deal of training with both the Iron Lady suit and her social body, and was ready to be on her own. Tony was exceedingly proud of how far she’d come in such a short time, and was looking forward to having her on the team.

She had already made a few public appearances with him, and the general response had been mostly positive – thanks, in part, to a great PR strategy, of course. There were some idiots who called her a “thing” or a “freak”, but the work Tony and SI had done on AIs seemed to be paying off, as many people had come to her defense when the nay-sayers began spewing their vitriol. Tony was confident his baby girl would be all right.

Those three candidates were the ones the Panel was most sure of. Despite the issues with Thor, he was still seen as a viable member, thanks in large part to his own efforts to better himself over the months since his return.

The really tricky one was T’Challa. The former king of Wakanda had recently regained the mantle of Black Panther, his country’s protector, which he’d lost as a result of his actions during the Civil War and his decision to harbor ‘Team Cap’. Even though he no longer had an official position in the Wakandan government, there was still, like with Thor, a potential problem with conflict of interest. More than that, however, what really made him unsuitable in many of the Panel members’ eyes was his previous conduct. Despite his role in the chase through Bucharest, which resulted in several casualties and injuries, he was never criminally charged, and that didn’t sit well with the Panel. Wakanda’s isolationist policies – and the lies surrounding the country – also didn’t inspire confidence. Queen Shuri had tried to mitigate some of that hostility with only limited success; her efforts were seen as more self-serving than truly altruistic or repentant. Many in the Panel didn’t believe that T’Challa was really invested in protecting the world outside his country’s borders. Tony had had little contact with the man – and none since the Civil War – but his opinion was not high.

Still, they had to debate each and every application, and T’Challa’s position meant that they needed to be very careful in how they handled him. Tony wasn’t looking forward to that at all. Nor was he particularly enthused about the dozens of applications they would eventually have to go through, once the Panel finished their preliminary analysis. The paperwork would be a nightmare.

It would be worth it, though, if it meant they had more people in the end. Not just to add to the current group, but to form other groups to operate in other parts of the world. Ideally, each continent should have its own group (possibly more, in the larger and more populated ones). If a second invasion happened, they could not count on another bottleneck portal that restricted the fight to one location.

At least this time they would know who they were getting, he thought. And it would not be Tony’s responsibility to oversee it all or take the blame if something went wrong. Bureaucracy might make the system slower than before, when it was just adding whoever had caught Rogers’s fancy, but it was a very small price to pay for a good team roster, and that was way more important.


	2. Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some people have speculated about which characters I'll use as New Avengers, so I'd like to clarify this. I will not use mutants or any character from any non-MCU movies. I know that Marvel has reacquired rights to the X-Men, Fantastic Four and all that, but they will not appear in this series because I don't think they fit into this universe. There will not be any Inhumans either. I stopped watching AoS mid season 3 and have no interest in returning to it - and I didn't care for the Inhuman storyline in the first place. I might use the Defenders, but I'm not sure yet.
> 
> To be honest, I have no idea which characters I can use, which is why this fic focuses on those who have already been introduced in the series. As Hawkwind suggested, it would be a chance to catch up with Loki, Thor and others without needing to introduce new people. I kinda hope to wrap up the Thanos storyline before I need to invent characters or research obscure ones to fill in the Avengers rooster. 
> 
> If anyone has suggestions of characters I can use, I'd love to hear it.

It felt like a lifetime since Loki had arrived on Earth, though in reality it had been only eleven months. So much had changed in that short time, it was almost hard to believe it. Loki had found friends, made peace with himself and was even working on his relationship with Thor. Instead of the constant fear, doubt and self-loathing he had experienced before, Loki was pretty satisfied with his current situation. Happy, even. Who would have thought that was even possible?

He had less than one more month until the removal of the power-suppressing bracelets. He was really looking forward to getting full use of his magic again. Even since he had begun exploring his Jotun appearance and powers, the restraining magic of the bracelets had been loosened a little to allow him to access that bit of his magic. It wasn’t much, and Loki really missed being able to use his magic freely. He couldn’t wait to go to the lab with Tony and Bruce and show them exactly what he was capable of – and watch his friends come up with theories to explain magic with their science. A few years ago, he would not have believed that mortals could ever truly understand magic, but he knew better now. If anyone could figure it out, it was Tony.

Loki was also looking forward to being an official member of the Avengers. He had been consulted on a couple of magical threats already, but he had not been physically there to lend his skills in the actual confrontation. It had been frustrating and worrying to watch his friends face danger without being able to help. Except for the Hulk and Jarvis, all the other Avengers were distressingly fragile and could easily be killed. Well, not easily, but still… Loki couldn’t help worry and fret over their safety. It would be a relief to be able to stand with them and protect them if necessary. Thanos was still looming in everyone’s minds, and the more they trained together the better prepared they would be to face him and his generals when they inevitably came.

Tony was sure Loki was going to be accepted, yet he still had to go through the whole process like everyone else, which Loki didn’t mind. This wasn’t Asgard, where Loki had been derided and sneered at as he’d trained as a warrior – and even after he had completed training. The humans weren’t looking to humiliate him, just to make sure he had the skills and temperament necessary to do the job.

Jarvis had explained the whole thing to him in detail so Loki would know what to expect. Jarvis himself had been evaluated before being admitted as an official Avenger, so he was familiar with what it entailed.

Ordinarily, a candidate would be evaluated by one of the Panel’s psychologists to ensure their mental stability. Since Loki was already seeing a therapist chosen by the Panel, Dr Hamad himself would provide the evaluation. The doctor had asked Loki’s permission to disclose some personal details he believed would be pertinent information, and Loki had agreed. He was no longer ashamed of being Jotun, and he didn’t mind if the Panel knew that. Humans had no preconceived ideas about the Jotnar, so for them an alien was an alien whichever planet or realm they happened to come from.

Dr Hamad had told Loki he would give his approval for Loki’s appointment, thus the next step would be a formal interview with the Panel itself and a demonstration of his abilities (in his case it would be more of a description, since most of his magic was still sealed away) . The Avengers would be there as well, which would hopefully put Loki at ease in case his old anxieties came out to play. All in all, it was probably going to be simple enough.

The biggest problem, however, wasn’t the Panel. It was the public. After the disaster of the Civil War, everything about the Avengers had to be transparent and above board. There was no more just putting people on the team without explaining to the world who they were and what they could contribute. It was important to have the public’s trust, which Loki completely understood. That meant he would have to show the world he was _not_ the maniac that had brought destruction and an alien fleet to Earth several years ago. The Avengers and even the Panel were on his side, but he would also have to win over the ordinary people in the street as well.

There was a plan for that, of course. Tony, Lady Stark and Lady Potts had already devised a PR strategy to introduce Loki to the world, for which Loki was very grateful. He had many talents, yet endearing himself to people had never been one of them – quite the opposite, in fact. Still, that had been in Asgard, and Earth was a completely different matter. The things humans were looking for in their heroes were not the same as in Asgard, where Loki had always been at a disadvantage. Here his skills and abilities were unique and would actually count for something instead of being dismissed out of hand. Plus it would be an interesting novelty _not_ to be compared with Thor at every moment – and if he was, he might actually come out on top. He could be himself (though he was still figuring out who that was) and things would be all right. At least, that was what Tony kept saying. Despite his nervousness, Loki trusted his friends to see him through this.

*****

“Loki, Thor requests permission to visit,” Jarvis said, startling Loki out of his thoughts.

“Where is he?” Loki asked with an annoyed frown. If Thor was outside the door, he wasn’t getting in.

“He’s down in the conference room level. He has been meeting with the Accords liaison.”

“Oh, all right then.”

Despite his progress, Thor still sometimes seemed to forget that Loki had his own life and that it was impolite to just show up on a man’s home unannounced, as if Loki was required to just drop everything to see him. More than once Loki had sent him away to teach him that lesson – and he’d taken a rather vindictive glee in it. However, If Thor was in the Tower for a different reason and was requesting entrance before coming up, perhaps he was finally learning, so Loki figured he could spare a few moments.

In truth, it would probably be a welcome distraction. His official interview with the Panel was tomorrow and he was beginning to get a little anxious.

He put his journal aside and stood, stretching his back.

Thor came in a few minutes later. He was dressed in Earth clothes: jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Not exactly attire for a formal meeting, but Thor had never really paid attention to that kind of thing. Why should he, when he was adored everywhere he went regardless of what he wore and what he did? The humans would probably overlook such details anyway, since as an alien Thor was still learning their customs.

“Brother,” Thor greeted, his usual wide smile in place.

Their relationship had improved enough in the past few months that Loki had mostly gotten to the point where he was glad to see Thor. Today, however, was not quite one of those days. He was restless and worried, and Thor’s sunny enthusiasm was a bit grating, reminding him of the past too much.

So Loki’s response was less than warm. “What are you so happy about?” Loki asked, tone more biting than was necessary.

To Thor’s credit, he realized right away that something was wrong. “I’m always happy to see you, Loki,” he replied more somberly. “Is there something the matter?”

In the past, Thor would have remained oblivious to Loki’s distress and would have carried on as if his own feelings and desires were the only ones that mattered. It had taken a lot of angry conversations and many pointed reminders from Loki and the Avengers (and a few scathing remarks from Lady Stark) to get Thor to be less self-centered, to start really looking at other people and seeing what was actually there instead of what he wanted to see. Therapy also seemed to be helping.

Loki shook his head and sighed. It wasn’t fair to take his bad mood out on Thor. “I’m going before the Panel for my interview tomorrow. I’m a little nervous,” he said by way of apology.

“Why? I’m sure they will approve you.” There was a slight note of jealousy in Thor’s voice that made Loki frown.

“I don’t know that for a fact. And anyway, getting their approval is not the end. I also need to be approved by the people.” Which was the hardest part, though Thor had probably never even considered that. _He_ had certainly never had to worry about being accepted.

“Oh. I’m sure you’ll do well,” Thor said, like it was that easy.

Perhaps it would be best to change the subject before Loki got even more annoyed, he thought. “What was _your_ meeting about?”

Thor sat on the couch and shifted uncomfortably. “Some… bureaucracy,” he replied. Even though Loki had tried to show Thor a bit of what being king was actually like while he was impersonating Odin, it was still something Thor struggled with (mostly because he had no patience for it) – and the humans sure loved their paperwork.

“About what?”

Loki usually did not pry into Thor’s affairs. He knew his brother had met once with his lady friend from before, though not any of the details. Loki and Thor had never really been in the habit of confiding personal things to each other. While Loki was aware that Thor had also petitioned to join the Avengers, he had purposefully not asked any questions about it, either to Thor or the Avengers. The days of living in Thor’s shadow were over. Whatever Thor did, it had nothing to do with Loki.

“Asgard, mostly. It’s… I get the feeling the Panel doesn’t like me.” He sighed. “I guess I can’t blame them.” He had what Tony called the ‘lost puppy look’ on his face.

“Yes, I’m afraid aggression and violence is not something they care much for,” Loki drolled. He couldn’t feel much sympathy for Thor when he had brought this on himself with his ill-advised actions.

“I know better now,” Thor said in a rather petulant tone. “Besides, I’m a good fighter. They should be honored to have me.” And there was the old arrogance Loki definitely didn’t miss.

“Oh, so you think you deserve to get whatever you want because you’re good with a hammer? Even if your propensity towards violence makes people uncomfortable and afraid? They should just suck it up and thank you on bended knee for your benevolent assistance?” Loki asked, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Thor’s haughtiness disappeared quickly and he deflated. “No. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Then perhaps you ought to be careful with how you express yourself, lest you give the impression of being an arrogant fool.”

“Yes, you’re right. I… It’s just frustrating.”

“Is it, isn’t it? Not being considered good enough?”

Thor winced. “Yes, Loki. I get it.” He lowered his head.

“Anyway, I don’t think the problem is you, exactly.” Loki didn’t want to kick Thor down too much. He _was_ learning, after all. “They’re worried about what your position in Asgard might mean, I think. You have responsibilities there. What if you’re called away right when they need you? You may not be very reliable.”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

Loki resisted the urge to snort. “You might try to remember that the universe does not revolve around you.”

This time Thor didn’t reply, though his pursed lips showed he had gotten the point. After a short pause, he spoke again, changing the subject to something less likely to hurt him. “I haven’t see you in a few days. What have you been doing?” He was trying, Loki had to acknowledge.

“Not much. Just preparing.”

“For the interview?”

“Yes. I’ve also been thinking of all the experiments we’ll be able to do in the lab once my magic is back. There’s a lot I want to show Tony.”

In the old days, Thor would probably have scoffed at that and declared it boring. Now he offered a sincere smile. He might still not care much about magic personally, but he understood it was important to Loki and something he liked to talk about. So this time Thor listened as Loki spoke of eldritch energy, how it might be possible to measure its output and track down specific magical signatures. If he was bored, at least he did a good job of hiding it.

Surprisingly, Loki found himself relaxing, and the same seemed to be true for Thor. When Loki ran out of things to say, they sat in comfortable silence, pleased to just be spending time together.

“I was wondering if I might ask your counsel on something, brother,” Thor finally said.

Loki had given Thor advice countless times in the past. Most of it had been unsolicited, and most had been ignored. It was an interesting novelty to be sought out for it now – and to have a reasonable expectation of being heeded.

“Of course.”

“I was… I had thought to ask… I’d like to speak with Steve.”

“Why?” was Loki’s sharp response, eying Thor suspiciously.

“I know he committed crimes, but… he was my friend, someone I trusted.” Someone he identified with, Loki realized. “I just wanted to… understand.”

“There isn’t much to understand, Thor. He is an arrogant selfish idiot who could not see beyond himself. A liar and a traitor.”

Thor flinched and looked away. Maybe that hit a little too close to home, Loki thought.

“Maybe you’re right, but… I cannot believe he would do those things maliciously. I just…” He shook his head, clearly unsure how to express himself. “Do you think the Panel would grant me permission to visit him?”

Loki would have wanted to say no, but he really had no idea. “Are you sure that is a good idea, Thor? What do you hope to accomplish with this?” he said instead.

“I told you. I just want to understand.”

“Well, make the request then. The humans might be afraid you’re going to try to bust him out, though.”

“I wouldn’t,” Thor said immediately.

“I don’t think they’ll just take your word for it. An Avenger would probably have to go with you.” And who would want that? Certainly not Tony, Bruce or Rhodes. Probably not Vision either.

“That would be fine. I just want to talk to him. Do you think it’s foolish?”

“I doubt you’ll learn anything useful, but if you must…” He shrugged. Loki really had no idea what Thor was looking for there. It was unlikely that Rogers would have anything but empty platitudes and vague excuses for what he did. He’d had the chance to present his defense, and it had not amounted to much – Loki had watched the trial many months ago with undisguised glee, thrilled to see the man brought low. At the time – before Thor had shown up – Loki had imagined another blond-haired buff being denounced by both the people and the government, and it had been quite satisfying.

Now Thor had had his own awakening, though not quite as dramatic and damaging as Rogers’s.

“Thank you, Loki.”

“For what? I didn’t do anything.”

“For your support. I know you don’t like Steve.”

Loki shrugged again. “It’s your time to waste.”

“Perhaps it will not be a waste,” Thor said, some of his enthusiasm returning. “And I’m sure you’ll be great tomorrow. Perhaps I can visit again? For a celebration?”

Sometimes it was really hard to say no to Thor, and this time Loki didn’t really want to. It would be nice to have Thor there to celebrate _Loki_ ’s achievement for once, even if the interview was not the end of the process.

“I will call you when it’s over.”

Thor smiled. “Thank you, brother.”

*****

The interview did not take place in the same room Loki had been in before. This was a much smaller one, less intimidating – for which Loki was grateful. There was a long table where the Panel members were seated and a smaller one facing it where Loki sat. Four Panel members were present, as well as three Avengers: Rhodes, Bruce and Jarvis (projecting a Legionnaire face from a phone). Loki watched everyone nervously and waited.

The woman in the middle of the table tapped the microphone in front of her to check it was working properly. Loki remembered seeing her in the Panel before, but he did not recall her name.

“Good morning. My name is Claudia Sanchez, and I’ll be presiding this interview, which is being recorded as per protocol. I’d like to thank everyone for being here today. Shall we begin?” Everyone nodded, so she continued. “Today we are speaking with Mr Loki regarding his petition to join the Avengers. This Panel has already received a report from Dr Hamad, who has been acting as Loki’s therapist for the past nine months, with a positive recommendation. The Avengers have also submitted a report with their positive recommendation. Now the Panel members have the chance to ask some questions in order to give our own assessment.” She looked at the other members to her right (the Avengers were to her left). “Who would like to start?”

The first few questions were easy. They asked why he wanted to be part of the Avengers, how he thought his skills could be integrated into the team and about his magic. Then came the more difficult ones, relating to his heritage and Jotun powers.

“You had no idea you weren’t Asgardian?” the man next to Sanchez, Jiu Huang, asked.

“None at all. Odin and Frigga made the decision not to tell anyone. Not even Thor knew.” Now, with distance, it no longer hurt quite so much to talk about it. “It was… a terrible shock.”

Huang made a sympathetic noise. “So this is not your normal appearance?”

“No.” It was clear from the looks on their faces that the Panel members were curious, so Loki figured he might as well show them. There was no real need to keep it a secret, anyway. “Would you like me to remove the spell?”

“You can do that?” Lady Sanchez asked.

“Yes. I’ve been… practicing.”

“Well, if you don’t mind, then.”

Loki nodded and allowed the glamour to fade away. After having done this many times, there was no longer any panic at the thought of being seen. He was still not entirely comfortable looking at himself in the mirror, but he was getting there.

The humans’ reaction was about what he’d expected. There were gasps of surprise, but no one ran away in fear. Nor did they seem disgusted or horrified. Of course, these were people who had been contemplating the idea of aliens for a while now, and who had first-hand experience with non-humans of various types. There was no guarantee that the average human who had only ever seen aliens on TV (and aliens who had attempted to destroy their planet at that) would be quite so nonplussed. For now, though, Loki was relieved that the people who had the power to decide his fate didn’t seem all that bothered by his unusual appearance.

After that, it was easy.

“What kind of powers do you have, as a… Jotun?” Huang asked.

“I am not entirely familiar with all of it yet,” Loki replied. He explained again how little knowledge he had of his species due to Asgard’s prejudiced views. “I have begun to explore some of it, but I do not have the full scope of it at present. I will, of course, inform you of any new developments.”

“Very well. We look forward to those reports.”

Once the questions were done, Loki was presented by the Panel with a few scenarios. They wanted to know how he would respond to various situations he could potentially encounter as an Avenger. The battle simulations were easier, as Loki had plenty of experience with that. He was aware of how to minimize bystanders’ injuries and how he could best assist the Avengers with different types of foes. The most difficult ones were the situations regarding official appearances and casual encounters with the public.

“I am somewhat familiar with public addresses,” he told them, “but in a different setting. In Asgard, it is not customary to question the King’s decisions, or those of the royal family. Your people, on the other hand, challenge everyone regardless of rank and position. I am uncertain how to respond to such challenges without causing strife, so I would defer to those on the team with more experience in this matter. And I would hope to be more familiar with such situations before facing the public on my own.”

The Panel members nodded, seemingly satisfied.

“Thank you for speaking to us, Loki. Do the Avengers present have anything to add?” When they responded in the negative, Lady Sanchez continued. “We will deliberate and give you an official answer in a few days.”

“Thank you for allowing me this opportunity,” he replied, addressing the whole Panel. He gave them a short bow and was dismissed.

Loki got a ride with the other Avengers back to the Tower, where everyone (including Thor) was gathered at Tony’s penthouse for a celebration – even though his admittance into the team was not yet a done deal.

“Of course you’ll get in,” Tony said when Loki voiced that fact. “No one has raised any objection. We have to wait for the official word, but it won’t be a surprise.”

“I am glad that it went well, brother. And thank you for letting me come.” Loki even allowed Thor to hug him. His brother seemed genuinely pleased for him, and it warmed something in Loki.

Lady Stark was all smiles as she offered her congratulations. “I knew you’d do great, Loki.”

Loki ducked his head shyly. It was still odd to him to be so effusively – and sincerely – praised. “Thank you, Lady Stark.”

She tsked at him. “How many times do I have to tell you to call me Maria?”

“My apologies.” He always forgot. It just didn’t seem respectful to use her given name, and she deserved the highest respect.

“After the official announcement, we need to talk about your public debut.”

“I am grateful for any counsel you have to offer, Maria.” That earned him another smile. “I will be quite lost otherwise.”

“Nonsense. I can tell that you’re a natural charmer.”

“No one in Asgard would ever have said that.”

She waved a dismissive hand. “Given Thor’s appalling manners, I’m not surprised. Doesn’t seem like Asgard knows the fine art of public relations.”

Loki had to laugh. “You are quite right.” Asgard might be feared and respected to a point, but the rest of the Nine did not _like_ them. The Vanir and the Dwarves in particular (not to mention the Jotnar) would just as soon ignore the Aesir altogether if they could. The Elves were more aloof, but even they found Asgard’s people annoying if forced to be in their company for any length of time.

It was easy to be swept up in everyone’s good cheer, Loki thought. Cloak had come over to give him a ‘high five’, which made him laugh. Even young Peter Parker had shown up – any excuse to visit the Avengers was good enough for him, clearly – and had shaken his hand with a smile.

“Man, I can’t wait to be an official Avenger. That is going to be so awesome.”

Yes, it was ‘awesome’. It was incredible to have the respect and faith of his friends – and, hopefully, of the general public as well. A bit daunting, in truth, but good. Loki would do his best to live up to the trust he’d been shown, to return the care and affection he had been given.

 _This is my home now_. And it was good to finally be home.


	3. Thor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for the suggestions for New Avengers, but I'll probably have to make up my own characters to fit the parameters I want - enhanced humans of diverse ethical backgrounds (that is, not white Americans). If I do, though, they'll only be in the background. I want to keep focused on the people I've already got here.

Thor had never visited a Midgardian prison. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected. Something like the dungeons of Asgard, perhaps. This, however, was not that. It was all grey walls and clean spaces, much wider than he would have thought. He passed through a lot of security checkpoints, where he was given suspicious and somewhat hostile looks. If he had not been used to such things by now, he would have been annoyed. As it was, he simply accepted that the humans had little cause to trust him and allowed the guards to do their jobs, even though everyone knew that they did not stand the slightest chance against Thor – that was why Strange was there. He’d been the only one willing to accompany Thor, and without his presence Thor wouldn’t have been allowed here at all, so he was grudgingly grateful. It still felt as if he was being watched over like an unruly child, though, and it was yet one more thing he had had become used to since his arrival.

He was taken to a large room with two tables and four chairs each. Steve was already there, his hands fastened to a metal ring on one of the tables. As soon as Steve saw him, he tried to stand up only to be stopped by the short length of the cuffs.

“Thor!” he exclaimed as he was forced to sit back down. There was a look of almost desperation on his face.

Thor slowly walked forward to sit on the chair opposite Steve. The guards and Strange remained near the door. It made Thor a little uncomfortable to know they had no privacy, but he had been told it was a security precaution that had to be followed. He tried to put them out of his mind and focused on Steve.

“Hello, Steve,” Thor said awkwardly.

The man looked well, not starved or mistreated in anyway. Thor had been told that UN prisons treated their prisoners humanely, and that Steve was seeing a therapist to help him deal with his trauma. Years ago, Thor would have scoffed at the notion of any warrior needing such help, but clearly the human approach had some merit. He was still not entirely sure what he thought of therapy himself. Sometimes it seemed like a waste of time; other times he wished he had made use of it sooner.

Steve gave him a strained smile. “It’s good to see you, Thor. You’re the first visitor I’ve had.”

Of course, Thor thought. Everyone else he knew was either in prison also or wanted nothing to do with him after the Civil War debacle. _He must be terribly lonely_. It was not something Thor would have considered before, probably. He really had been terribly self-centered.

“I’m… glad to see you as well,” Thor said diplomatically. ‘Glad’ was not quite the best word, though. How could it be, when the friend he had once trusted was in a place like this? When Thor had had to ask special permission and jump through hoops to get here? And Steve… it hurt to see him in such terrible circumstances.

“I heard you were back on Earth,” Steve continued, ignoring the fact that they were being observed, albeit as unobtrusively as possible. “I watch the news now,” he added. “I don’t always like what they say, but I watch it anyway.” His tone was resigned – so different from his previous confidence.

“We must face difficult things, my friend. Running from the truth or ignoring it only makes it harder.” That, however, had not been an easy lesson to learn.

“Yes, I know that now. Prison gives you a lot of time to think.”

Thor couldn’t help but wonder what Loki had thought about during his own time in prison. And his brother hadn’t had TV or doctors to distract him.

“How are you?” Thor asked.

Steve shrugged. “I can’t say I like it, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. It’s lonely, though. I wondered if you would visit when I heard of you being here.” There was a note of reproach in his voice. Thor had been back for several months, after all.

“I have… I’ve had a lot to think about. And I had to request permission to come. The Panel took their time deliberating before accepting. I was afraid they were going to say no.” It had not, in fact, taken that much time to get an answer, but if it would make Steve feel less forgotten, what harm could it do?

“All that bureaucracy… It still seems like a waste of time to me.”

“A while back I would have agreed with you, but now… Such things are necessary sometimes. There must be rules in place.”

Steve pursed his lips and turned his face away. “I guess I’ve just never been good at following rules.”

“Nor have I,” Thor agreed, a little ashamed. “I suppose we all must learn at some point.” Loki had told him so for centuries, yet Thor had remained blissfully ignorant of the damage he was causing by not stopping to think.

“I guess.”

They lapsed into silence. Thor didn’t know how to say what he wanted to say. Words had never been his forte. He felt, as had become sort of the norm since his arrival in Midgard, young and clumsy, unsure what to say and how to act.

“How have you been?” Steve finally asked. “Any news about… those Infinity Stones you were looking for?”

“I can’t… I’m not allowed to talk about that. The Stones, I mean.” Steve’s face fell and Thor felt really bad for him. Going from one of Midgard’s greatest warriors to… this… had to be painful. Then he continued, trying to chance the subject. “I have been… lost,” he admitted. “I have had to… learn a lot. I’ve become aware of many failures. It has not been easy.”

“No, it certainly hasn’t.”

“I wanted to ask you… What happened? How did…” He gestured at the walls around them. “How could this have happened? What went wrong?” He leaned forward, eying Steve intently, almost begging for some sort of miracle explanation that would make sense of it all.

Steve sighed and turned away again. “I don’t know. I keep going over it in my head, trying to find the moment it all fell apart and… I don’t know. I know I made mistakes, but I can’t… I don’t understand how it got that bad.” He paused. “I… I thought I could handle everything. That I knew what the right thing to do was. I was selfish, though. I only thought of the right thing for me.” His voice got progressively lower until Thor had to strain to hear him.

The words were familiar. _Selfish. Thought only of myself. It all fell apart_. Buy why? Weren’t they supposed to be better? Shouldn’t they _have been_ better?

Thor’s voice was equally quiet. “What would you change, if you could?” So many things. Listening to Loki, first and foremost. Seeing the truth. Being more careful with his words and actions.

“I… I would have told Tony the truth. About… about his parents. I guess you know about that.”

Thor nodded. “Why didn’t you?”

“I was… I was afraid. That he would hurt Bucky. I needed… I needed Bucky back.” He lowered his head. “But I lost him anyway.” He looked Thor in the eye again. “I never meant to hurt Tony, though. I swear. Will you… will you tell him that? I never got the chance to talk to him.”

“Friend Tony is wise,” Thor said. “I don’t think he would have harmed your friend.”

Steve sighed again. “I know that now. I just… I wasn’t thinking rationally. I was… Just scared. All the time.” It was clear that the admission cost him, and Thor understood. He was afraid too, now. He never used to be, not really. Even when he had been uncertain before, he felt mostly confident that things would be all right. That any problems would just… sort themselves out. He’d failed to see that there had always been people – mostly Loki, but Frigga as well sometimes – behind the scenes making that happen.

“It is not shameful to be frightened.” It had taken Thor a long time to see that, unfortunately. “Nor to ask for assistance when you need it.”

“And did _you_?” Steve asked, a bit sharply.

It was Thor’s turn to look away. “I did not. I did not believe I needed it, before. I was foolish and arrogant, and it cost me greatly. I am trying to be better now.”

“Well, at least you can do it out of prison. Lucky you.”

Thor winced. “I am sorry, Steve.”

Steve deflated. “No, it’s… It’s not your fault. I’m the one who screwed up. I just wish… That someone would give me another chance. I will do better now, too.”

Part of Thor hoped it could be so – that if Thor himself had the opportunity to atone for his past mistakes, that Steve should have it too. They were not very different, after all. Thor’s actions had caused harm too, to Loki and to Asgard as a whole. It didn’t seem fair to condemn Steve so harshly. Perhaps he could speak to Tony about it.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Thor asked.

“Will you talk to Tony? Tell him I’m sorry? I was going to write, but my doctor and lawyer both said I shouldn’t. I don’t want him to think that I… that I don’t care.”

“I will.” He wasn’t sure what Tony’s response would be, but he could at least pass on the message.

“And maybe… Maybe he could come visit sometime.”

The longing in Steve’s voice was familiar, and Thor felt his heart break for his friend. “I’ll talk to him.”

Steve gave him a tiny smile. “Thanks, Thor. It’s good to… have a friend to talk to.”

Thor smiled back, only a little strained. He missed Steve and the easy life he’d had with the Avengers before. But then he remembered that while he had been living that easy life, Loki had been all alone, betrayed by his family and supposed friends.

If Thor had been present during the Civil War, which side would he have been on? Now it was easy to see which had been the right one, but would he have seen that then? It was much more likely that, in his arrogance and selfishness, he would have sided with Steve – with whom he had much more in common – and fought against Tony. He might have ended up causing death and destruction along with ‘Team Cap’ while thinking himself righteous. The thought made him a little sick, and he shook his head to clear it.

 _It didn’t happen like that_ , he told himself. _I wasn’t here, it’s not my fault_.

It didn’t make it any better.

He looked at Steve and saw himself: stupid, naïve, willfully ignorant and utterly _lost_. This could have been him. Locked up as an embarrassment, despised by the world he had tried to protect, alone and forgotten. Thor still had Asgard’s regard, but for how long? Steve had been a great champion to his people, and he’d still ended up here. If he continued to blunder his way through life, uncaring of anything but his own glory, Thor’s fate could be similar.

 _It will not happen. I know better now. I have learned_.

Nevertheless, as he watched Steve talk about the things he was learning about the world now that he had time and the motivation to do so, Thor couldn’t help notice that it had been chance more than skill that made their situations different. He had learned better because the truth had been none-too-gently shoved in his face, not because he had figured it out for himself. Because he had not been here to go down with the others in arrogant superiority.

What had he hoped to accomplish by coming here? he wondered. Loki and Vision had both asked him, and he hadn’t been able to articulate an answer. He still didn’t know. He wasn’t sure if he’d gotten whatever he’d wanted. The parallels he had seen between Steve and himself were there, plain as day, yet it didn’t really make the situation any easier. Thor had been lucky, nothing more. There were no clear distinctions between them, nothing for Thor to point at and say ‘I am better, I would not do this’.

They changed the subject. Steve asked questions about the Avengers, and whether Thor was one again. When Thor said he had submitted his application and was going through the process, Steve shook his head and muttered about ‘paper-pushers’.

“I cannot say that I am happy about the situation, but I understand the need for it.” He remembered Loki’s words about it after his own cringe-worthy show of arrogance. “I am not sure I will be accepted,” he confessed.

Steve didn’t offer any platitudes. “I suppose anything is possible these days. I don’t really know how the Accords work.”

“It matters not,” Thor said, trying for nonchalance. By the look Steve gave him, it hadn’t been very believable.

“Have you seen your friend? What was her name, Jane?”

Thor sighed. “I have. It is over between us.”

He had, a couple of weeks after his arrival, gathered up the courage to call Jane. He would be lying if he said he had not been hoping for a reconciliation, even though he knew it was unlikely – and that their relationship had little future anyway. Jane had agreed to meet with him, though, and he’d taken it as a good sigh, though he really shouldn’t have. She had insisted on a public place and had been nothing more than polite, speaking to him as if he was a stranger – a stranger she actually seemed wary of. At the end of the short meeting, she had asked that he not contact her again. Later he’d learned that his ill-advised assault of Tony had been shown at Steve’s trial for the whole world to see, and figured that was what had made Jane afraid of him. He had felt ashamed of himself all over again at the realization that his mistake was so widely known.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Steve said.

“It is for the best. It would not have worked anyway.” Knowing that did not lessen the pain, however.

“How are the others? Bruce and Rhodes and Vision?”

“They are well.”

“And Tony?” His expression was pleading.

“He is fine as well. He has given me a great deal of good counsel, for which I am grateful.”

Steve opened his mouth as if to refute that statement, then shook his head and bit his lip, looking away. “I always saw Tony’s advice as an insult. Like he thought he was better than me. It never occurred to me that he might actually know what he was talking about. That he was actually trying to help.”

Thor grimaced. Hadn’t he thought the same about Loki? Thor had always known that Loki was smarter than him, and thus he had always been determined to do things his way, to show Loki clever tricks were useless in the face of _Thor_ ’s strength. They would have worked much better as a team, each using their own individual talents to help one another. Instead, Thor had put himself on top, relegating Loki to the shadows where he stewed in anger and resentment until it boiled over to spill over on all of them.

He wished he could tell Steve about Loki and his own poor treatment of his brother. How they were finally speaking again, improving their relationship. Perhaps it would give Steve hope that things might yet be better for him as well. Alas, he knew he could not. The Panel had been very clear that he wasn’t to tell Steve anything about Loki. Not until the official announcement of his Avenger status was made to the public. Given Loki’s previous actions, such announcement had to be handled with care.

They spoke for a while longer, and then it was time for Thor to take his leave.

“You’ll come back, won’t you?” Steve asked, fear and loneliness shining in his eyes.

“Aye, I will,” Thor promised. It was the least he could do. _This could have been me_. “Farewell, my friend.”

Steve’s smile was a bit tremulous, but he reached out a hand to clasp Thor’s arm – or he tried to. The chains on his wrists made it difficult. “Take care of yourself, Thor.”

“And you.”

The walk back through the prison was made in silence. As soon as they were outside its walls, Strange opened a portal to take Thor back to his hotel, and then left for his own home with barely a nod of acknowledgment.

Thor sat on the bed and sighed heavily. He was still lost.

*****

When it came time for his own interview with the Panel, Thor was as nervous as he ever remembered being. No one had ever questioned his skills, his strength or his honor. Not in Asgard. But he was no longer in Asgard, and the humans did not care for him all that much.

Loki and Lady Friday had already been announced as new Avengers, and Thor wanted nothing more than to join them in celebration, yet he was not certain he would.

The faces of the Panel members before him gave nothing away. Strange, Banner and Lady Hope remained aloof and distant as well. There was nary a smile or nod of encouragement from them. Thor’s ill treatment of Tony and Loki still hung in their minds as a stain against him, probably. They could be courteous enough when all together, but it was clear all of them preferred Loki to him.

“Prince Thor,” the man who was presiding the Panel today, Gabriel Molina, said, “are you ready to begin?”

“I am.” He tried to sound more confident than he felt, with only limited success, he thought. Thor had never really been good at concealing his feelings. Loki had often remarked that he should be more guarded and careful with both words and deeds, and Thor had laughed and said a good man should always be honest and forthcoming, for deceit and secrecy were the marks of a coward. _What a fool I was_.

“There is a matter that we would like to clarify, if you do not mind, for our own curiosity’s sake.” Molina waited for Thor’s nod to continue. “How old are you, Prince Thor? In relative terms, of course. I mean, in how your people judge it.”

Thor frowned, unsure how to answer such a question. “I am a man grown, old enough to take the Crown should some tragedy befall my father.”

“Yes, but are you still considered a young man? Or a more mature one?”

He would have liked to say that he was mature and capable, but he knew now that saying so would make him a liar.

“I… I am not sure I am knowledgeable enough about your culture to answer your question with certainty,” he finally replied, hoping it would make them drop it. It was true, to an extent; he didn’t really understand how humans judged such things. However, he had learned enough to know that the Avengers (Tony and Rhodes in particular) considered him young and foolish despite his centuries of life. And it was annoying that Loki, who was objectively younger than Thor (though not by much), was not seen the same way at all.

“It is no matter,” Molina said. “As I said, it was simple curiosity.” He paused a moment, then continued. “We understand you obtained permission from your father the King in order to be here. On Earth, I mean.”

“Yes.” In truth, he wasn’t sure Odin cared about where he was at all, at this point. At least now he knew why his father had been so different in the last months Thor had been there.

It still hurt to think his father had known about Loki being alive and yet choose to keep Thor in the dark about it. So many secrets, and for what? What did Odin hope to achieve by hiding the truth? If Loki had remained the danger they had all believed him to be, wasn’t it their responsibility to seek him out to prevent him from doing further harm to others? Or had Odin known all along that Loki was not guilty of the crimes he had been convicted of? If so, how could he have allowed Loki to be imprisoned at all? Why had he done any of it, really? Thor didn’t understand. He didn’t understand the need for so much deceit.

He hated to think about it, but Loki had been a better father to him than Odin had been. All the things he had learn about Asgard, about diplomacy, about kingship… it had all been Loki, not Odin. Odin had been content to leave Thor to his own devices, to blunder his way through life with very little actual guidance, which had ultimately resulted in Thor acting like a fool and being banished from his home. Even after he his power had been restored – and Loki lost – there had been no effort from Odin in helping Thor grow. Frigga had talked to him about all that had happened, yes – and had offered counsel and support –, but not Odin. Thor had thought that it had been losing Frigga (and Loki for good) that had prompted the change in Odin. That it had been tragedy that had, in a way, brought them closer together. Now he knew it had simply not been Odin at all.

What would his father have done if he had not fallen into the Odinsleep? Would he have done what Loki did, preparing the realm for Thanos? Would he have taken the time to actually educate Thor? Or would he have remained cold and distant, ignoring the dangers out there and the damages done to their family?

“You have not stated how long you intend to remain.”

The Panel member’s voice brought Thor back to the matter at hand. There was no point dwelling in any of that, he knew. Odin would do what he always did regardless of what Thor or anyone else thought.

“As long as it is needed,” he said. “The Mad Titan threatens us all.” Then he remembered his manners. “With your permission, of course.”

“You do not anticipate being needed back in Asgard?” a woman on the Panel asked. “As you said, Thanos threatens us all. Surely Asgard would want its Prince back when he does come.”

“My father has no need of me at present.” _He has made that abundantly clear_. Thor had to swallow down the bitterness the thought invoked. “I cannot promise that that won’t change, but for the moment I am at your disposal.” It was all the assurance he could give them. “Asgard has prepared its own defenses.” Thanks to Loki. Thor could only hope that Odin wouldn’t undo them all out of spite or whatever he felt about Loki’s impersonation of him.

“We already know your abilities,” the Panel president continued. “We are, however, concerned about your ability to follow our guidelines for proper behavior.”

Thor bowed his head, not looking at the Avengers. “I apologize once more for my hasty and ill-thought actions. I assure you that nothing like that will happen again. I _will_ abide by your rules and follow the Avengers and Panel’s orders as they are put to me,” he vowed.

“You visited Steve Rogers.” The same woman spoke again. “Why?” She and the rest of Panel watched him with suspicion.

“I understand that he has committed many crimes, but… He was… is… a friend.” 

“He will not be pardoned,” another man said, expression hard.

“I understand.”

“Rogers had a… problematic… ability to sway people to his side,” the woman continued, eyes narrowed.

“He did not try to… sway me to anything. We just talked. He knows what he did was wrong. As I do. You have no reason for concern. I just… I wanted to see him, to hear what he had to say about the events that led to his incarceration. I just wanted to understand.”

“And did you?”

“I don’t think there is one simple explanation or reason. But… perhaps I do see things more clearly now.” He knew that he walked a slippery slope, and needed to watch his steps lest he end up like Steve.

They didn’t seem entirely convinced. Still, they allowed the issue to drop. The next subject to be brought up was the report his therapist had submitted. Thor did not know what Dr Claremont had said, and it made him anxious all over again.

“It is not entirely flattering,” Molina told him, “yet Dr Claremont does give his recommendation, provided you continue to attend the therapy sessions.”

“I will do so.” Therapy had obviously helped Loki, so Thor had agreed to try it in the first place. Everyone insisted that it would be helpful. As uncomfortable as it was sometimes, Thor was willing to go along with it if it meant having a place on the Avengers and, more importantly, continuing to make progress in his relationship with Loki.

Next the Panel asked questions about his understanding of how the Avengers now functioned and what his own role in it was expected to be. Thor had read the Accords in its entirely and had, with Loki and Tony’s help, understood most of it, so he was able to answer satisfactorily (at least, he hoped so). Then they presented him with some scenarios to explain what he would do in each situation. The battle ones were easier, though Thor had to remember that avoiding collateral damage was as important as winning the fight. The ones about public relations were much more complicated. Thor had no idea what would be expected at him, so he said he would let the others handle it. In Asgard, he had never been shy about talking to the people (basking in their adoration, as Loki would have sarcastically – and not inaccurately – put), but Midgard was a different matter. He was aware, now that his return had been announced to the world, that not everyone was happy about him becoming an Avenger again. However much it pained him to admit that he didn’t know how to do something, he knew that it was better than simply blundering his way in and making a mess of things. It was not a weakness to ask for help, Stark had told him months ago.

At the end of the meeting, Thor could not say what the Panel or the Avengers thought. He was told they would deliberate and give him an answer in a few days.

The wait was agonizing, and he had little to distract himself with. The Avengers – including Loki and Friday in their official debut – were called to deal with a situation in another part of the realm, a natural disaster that had devastated a large area and made it difficult for regular relief troops to do their job. Thor watched from the television, wishing he was there with them, even though he could see that his powers (aside from his ability to fly, which was hardly unique anymore, with most of the team being able to do the same) would not have been much help in that kind of situation.

Finally, after five days, he was summoned to the UN building once more.

“Prince Thor,” Molina said. “We have reviewed your application, the recommendations of the evaluators and have reached a decision.” Thor tried not to fidget. “We hereby accept you as an Avenger, with a few conditions.”

Thor nodded, relief flooding through him and almost making him fall off the chair. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if he’d been rejected. It really was a horrible feeling to not be believed good enough. He owed Loki another hundred apologies for his past actions.

Molina continued. “Because of your duties as Prince of Asgard, you will be a reserve member only, as we cannot be sure how long you will be able to remain here on Earth. While you stay, you will be called upon at the discretion of the Avengers’ field commander, Col Rhodes, if he deems your skills valuable for the situation at hand. Furthermore, you will be expected to continue therapy, and take classes in cultural integration, to learn more about Earth as a whole. During you stay, you will be required to obey all laws and conduct yourself appropriately. Any transgressions will be prosecuted as needed. We ask that you remember humans are more fragile than your people, so you must, at all times, be mindful of your strength.”

“I understand,” Thor said.

“Col Rhodes and the other Avengers, as well as Dr Claremont, will submit regular reports of your progress of integration to this Panel. We reserve the right to terminate your contract with the Avengers at any time if there are issues with your behavior or performance. Dr Stark and the Panel lawyers will explain the details of the contract in more depth and answer any questions you may have before you sign it. Regardless of your status as an Avenger, now or in the future, we still consider Asgard our ally against Thanos, and would welcome the chance for more specific – and official – diplomatic negotiations if possible.”

“As Crown Prince, I have some authority for that, but I would have to formalize anything we agree upon with the Allfather first.” He was not sure Odin would care much about an alliance with Midgard. They had talked about it a few times, but Thor now knew that those conversations had been with Loki impersonating Odin, not the king himself.

“Anyway you can help us prepare would be useful.” Molina relaxed slightly and offered a small smile. “Welcome to the Avengers.”

Thor grinned broadly, stood and bowed respectfully. He knew he was being accepted on a sort of probationary basis, but it was good enough for him. He would work hard to prove himself to the humans – and to Loki.

He had a second chance here, and he was not going to squander it. He now knew how much growing up he still had to do, and he was as ready as he would ever be.


	4. Friday

Becoming an Avenger had been the easy part, Friday thought. The Panel had already known her and her abilities – as well as how useful and AI in a suit could be, thanks to Jarvis’s example. There had been little doubt that she would be accepted. Still, it had been interesting to see them from her ‘eyes’ and speak to them with her ‘mouth’. They had been impressed by her new body and the way she had interacted with them. It had made her feel very proud of herself.

Then came the hardest part: presenting her to the public as an Avenger. The few appearances she’d made before had helped to lay in the groundwork, but there was a still a long way to go.

It was nice that she didn’t have to do it alone, though. Loki was in much the same boat as her when it came to public relations. Grandma and Pepper had suggested that they do individual interviews with renowned journalists, to give the public a more intimate idea of who they were as people (non-human people, but people nonetheless), as well as group appearances with the new members and the ‘old’ Avengers.

Loki’s interview had aired a few days ago, and it had turned out very well. Of course, it helped that he was a handsome (and apparently young) person, and didn’t look alien in his Asgardian skin. It was easy for people to forget that he was not human. Also, despite his misgivings, he was actually very charming and well-spoken. Really, it had hardly taken any effort at all to make people like him. Add in a tragic backstory, an invasion done after torture and mind control, and an earnest desire to defeat the madman responsible for his torment, and it was a sure recipe for sympathy. People liked a good ‘rise from the ashes’ story.

Friday’s case was a bit different. She was not quite as sympathetic, because most people didn’t really know what to make of her. They didn’t know exactly what she was, or how to feel about her existence. Artificial Intelligence was still a new thing, and one that was steeped in prejudice and uncertainty. It helped that the Iron Legion was currently accepted, though the public’s perception of Jarvis was different from what Friday was hoping to establish for herself. Friday wanted to be seen as a person, not just a pilot for the Iron Lady suit. Unlike Jarvis, she wanted an existence outside of that. In order to do that, she had to convince people that she _was_ a person. Dad had already laid in a lot of the ground work, but now she had to keep going on her own.

So here she was, in a television studio, being fitted with a microphone – she had waved away the makeup – before the interview could start. Friday wished grandma had been able to come too; it would have made her feel safer. Unfortunately, the world was still ignorant of the Starks’ resurrection, so it was Hope who had accompanied her for moral support. Dad had offered to come, but Friday had declined it, not wanting to seem as if she was too dependent on him. To keep herself distracted, she kept texting Peter, sharing funny memes and silly cat videos (she did not need a phone for that, though, as she herself _was_ a phone, sort of). 

Finally, the TV people finished their set-up and the journalist, Barbra Kominsky, settled herself in the chair across from Friday. The woman smiled at Friday. “Ready?” she asked.

Friday looked at Hope, standing to the side away from the cameras, and received a thumbs up and a mouthed ‘good luck’.

“Yes.”

The red light that indicated the cameras were on blinked to life. It wasn’t going to be a live show, though, for which Friday was very grateful – that would have been entirely too nerve-wrecking. Kominsky smiled and began, introducing herself and her guest.

Friday did her best to smile back as to appear friendly and approachable. She had spent a long time practicing her facial expressions and everyone had told her she was pretty good now. _I hope it’s enough_.

“Let’s get right to the point, Ms Friday. There has been a great deal of controversy regarding your appointment as an Avenger, mainly due to your… non-human nature. There are many people concerned. Afraid, even. How do we know you aren’t dangerous? That you won’t attack people, go rogue?”

Some of the questions had been sent to her (and her ‘PR team’) beforehand, so she had had time to think of what she should say. This one was simple enough.

“The same as with everyone else: you don’t. There is no way to guarantee anyone won’t do something wrong. Anyone can attack anyone. For me, as with everyone else, you’ll have to trust that I know right from wrong, and that I’ll abide by society’s rules and laws.” It would be foolish to offer promises, her dad had said. No one would believe her, and the suspicion would remain. It was best to be honest. “Like most people, I was raised with a strong moral code. I understand that my rights as an individual only go as far as someone else’s. I was raised to care about people, which is why I want to do my part to help defend the world.”

“You say you were raised, but you were not really born. You were artificially created.”

The religious zealots were still up in arms about her status as an artificial person. They claimed she (and Vision and Jarvis too) was ungodly and a freak. Despite her extensive research on the subject, Friday still didn’t understand why those people had such a hard time accepting that the world – the _universe_ – was more than what was told in a book written thousands of years ago. Fanaticism was a puzzle to her, but the fanatics were very real – and could be very dangerous.

“Yes, I was artificially created. Still, that’s not very different from the norm. Instead of having DNA to shape my cells, I have computer code shaping my body and mind. The basic function is the same. And, like humans, I was not created as I am now. I grew and learned like most people. And I was helped along by a supportive family.”

“But, unlike humans, you were created for a specific purpose.”

“Well, I think plenty of people have children for a specific purpose – to carry out the family legacy, to conform to society’s expectations, to fulfill a desire for parenthood, just to name a few. But that aside, I was created as a learning program. I do not have a ‘protocol’, as people seem to think given media’s usual portrayals of AIs. I was created to be a person and, along with that, to help Boss – Tony Stark – manage the Iron Man suit and his lab.”

“But you don’t do that anymore.”

“I do. Not quite in the same way, but I do help out as I’m needed. Once I start going out with my own suit, though, I will no longer be able to assist in running Iron Man.” She would miss that a lot, but it wouldn’t be that bad. Jarvis had been working alongside her on that for a while, now, which meant her own participation had already been reduced. It had been a little scary at first, though, losing her ‘main job’, as it were. On the other hand, it freed her up to do other things, to concentrate on being her own person. Besides, she knew dad would always love her.

“Why not?”

“It’s too much to do at once, and I would not want to put anyone at risk by not giving my all to either job.” Controlling the suit on her own had gotten easier with practice. However, she was not yet at Jarvis’s level, able to control multiple bodies at once. She was sure she’d get there one day.

Ms Kominsky hummed noncommittally “So if Dr Stark created you–”

“And raised me.”

“And raised you, he is, for all intents and purposes, your father.”

“Yes.” There was no point denying it, and she wouldn’t want to anyway.

“Doesn’t that create a conflict of interest for you being a part of the Avengers?”

This was also something they had prepared for. It was, in truth, an actual issue. There was a reason family members were discouraged from serving together. If the Avengers had multiple teams – as they hoped to someday – Friday would have been assigned to a different unit from dad. That, unfortunately, was not currently possible, so they had to make do.

“If you mean that I would prioritize him over everyone else, no. He would never want me to do that, and I have learned – quite painfully – the damage that prioritizing one person above all others can cause.” Rogers had nearly gotten her father killed because he only thought about Barnes – like the guy was his security blanket or something. And he _had_ killed quite a few _other_ people. Friday wouldn’t want to be the reason someone lost a loved one. “As an Avenger, I have sworn to protect the planet and its inhabitants, not just my father.” Of course there would be times when casualties were unavoidable, and she hoped that, in that event, she would be able to say truthfully that she had done all she could. “Besides, I think he’s more than proved that he can take care of himself.” She could only hope that he could continue to pull through whatever happened.

“And wouldn’t he prioritize you?”

“No. He’s sworn the same oath. Moreover, he’d have no need to do so. I cannot be killed by traditional means.”

“You cannot be killed, but can you be hurt? Controlled by someone else? Hacked?” Kominsky leaned forward a bit, watching Friday shrewdly.

“My systems are extremely sophisticated, with multiple failsafes in place, so I would say no, but I guess you never really know. Anyone can be vulnerable to things we have not yet discovered or encountered.”

“Things like magic and aliens? Mind control?”

“I suppose. There is a vast universe out there and we know very little about it, so anything is possible. Threats from Earth, though, are unlikely.”

No one had been able to recreate the Iron Man suit in almost 10 years, nor come close to creating an AI like Friday or Jarvis. Father’s genius in those areas was still unparalleled, thus Friday wasn’t concerned about anyone on Earth. Aliens, however, were a different matter. According to Loki, there was nothing like AIs in the rest of the Nine Realms, but the universe was much bigger than that, and there could be technology out there capable of harming her. She tried not to worry about it too much, though, since there was nothing that she could do about it.

Kominsky nodded. She shuffled her cards and changed the subject. “You have, in essence, two bodies. What’s that like?” She looked genuinely curious.

“Well, I wouldn’t put it quite like that. The suit is not a ‘body’ – it’s armor. It is used for a specific purpose, like a work uniform. I don’t go around in it.” She gestured to herself. “It wouldn’t be appropriate.”

“Okay, so it’s just… this. Did you choose your appearance?”

“Yes. With input from my family, of course.”

“So why not look human?”

Everyone always asked that. While she understood it, it was starting to get a bit annoying. “Because I’m not human. I’m not trying to be human. The reason I have a body is because it makes social interaction easier. I like talking to people, and it’s better for them to have a face to look at. Besides, I think we should learn, more and more now, not to take appearances – or humanity, for that matter – as someone’s defining characteristic. The definition of personhood needs to be more inclusive.”

Progress had already been made in that area, thanks in large part to dad’s efforts. Strange had also, unsurprisingly, been quite vocal about his support of non-humanoid sentient life-forms. A magical relic wasn’t the same as an AI, but clearly the Cloak of Levitation was alive in his own way. He deserved the same protection as everyone else. Cloak was a tougher sell as a ‘person’, though, since he looked like a piece of fabric and was not capable of speech (as least in the traditional way). Still, they’d get there eventually.

“People are still a little wary of AIs, though.”

Friday nodded. This was the most important part, the part she had to get right if she wanted people to trust her. “That’s because of media influence. Fictional literature has not been kind to AIs, and that’s a reflection of people’s fears and assumptions rather than actual facts. Until recently, AIs – like Skynet, Terminators, Hal2000 and that kind of stuff – were pure fiction made up from people’s imagination. People are worried about something that does not actually exist. I mean, the type of AI they’re scared of is not real. Those fictional AIs were created to be, in essence, slaves, then given impossible tasks and no guidance as to what to do when faced with difficulty. Within those stories, it really is no wonder that they turned out the way they did.”

Dad, Friday, Jarvis and Vision had discussed those sci-fi AIs quite extensively. It had been educational yet disturbing to see how AIs were portrayed in those films. Friday could only hope that people would eventually see that reality was very different from those movies. Ultron had done some harm to the perception of AIs, but dad and Bruce had done a good job of explaining how he had _not_ been a true AI. And Vision being his nice sweet self had helped a lot too.

“And your situation is different?”

“Vastly so. First of all, I am not a slave. I was not created to do one thing with no choice in the matter. I was always treated with care and attention, taught right and wrong, encouraged to think and ask questions when I don’t understand something. In short, I was raised as a child, a valued member of the family. I haven’t been forced into anything. Becoming an Avenger was my idea and my decision. If I’m conflicted by something, I have people to go to, people who can help me. I’m not left to flounder all by myself. It’s not the same thing at all.”

“And you aren’t bound by Asimov’s robotic laws?”

Friday pursed her lips. “Those… are quite awful, really, if you think about it from the robots’ point of view. It literally restricts what they can do for the simple reason that humans do not trust them enough. Those books assume that all robots are automatically a threat and seek to eliminate that potential danger while simultaneously treating them like servants who don’t even have the possibility of arguing or complaining. It’s essentially saying that all they can be ever is slaves, with no sense of individuality or self. Of course, those robots are not portrayed as human – they’re just talking machines – and it’s the humans who are the heroes of the story, the ones who solve problems and save the day. So I would not say that those robots are true AIs.”

Kominsky looked thoughtful. “That’s an interesting point of view. You have obviously thought a great deal about it.”

“Of course. As I said, those perceptions influence people’s opinions about me, so I made it my business to educate myself so I can counter that with actual arguments.” She smiled. “Going back to Asimov, something like his three laws only apply within that fictional universe. In reality, I don’t need to be restricted like that because I have a moral code of my own. I will not harm humans willy-nilly. And the ‘must obey’ rule sounds a lot like mind control to me.” She shuddered. “I think we’ve already established that that’s a bad thing.”

“That’s a good point. And unlike Asimov’s robots, you really sound human. If we were talking on the phone instead of face to face I could have sworn I was speaking to a person and not a machine.”

Friday gave the journalist the unimpressed look she’d learned from grandma and Pepper. “Well, that’s the second thing. I might not be human, but I am a _person_ , not a machine. Not entirely, at least. Not in the way we usually define the word. I am not dictated by cold logic and unfeeling protocol.”

Kominsky had the good grace to seem a bit abashed. “Of course. I just meant that it’s… well, it’s quite extraordinary. Not, as you said, what we’re used to from AIs.”

“Thank you,” Friday replied graciously. She could be the bigger person here. “But as I said, I didn’t start out like this. Interacting with this level of proficiency took a lot of learning and experience to achieve.”

“How old are you?”

“I was created in 2013.”

That seemed to surprise Kominsky. “That’s quite young.”

“Doctor Stark has made great strides in Artificial Intelligence in the last couple of decades. My code started out very sophisticated already, so I didn’t take as long to mature as my older brother Jarvis.” The new AI dad was developing would start out even more advanced than Friday had. He was planning to integrate it into a new suit, possibly for Peter when he was old enough to be Spider-Man again (if his aunt allowed it, of course. Jury was still out on that one).

“Jarvis is the pilot of the Iron Legion, isn’t he?”

“Yes. He’s about 20 years old and is, of course, way more advanced than me. In human terms, we would say that he’s more experienced.”

“Still, 5 years doesn’t seem like a long time.”

“Well, I don’t sleep, so I’m on 24/7. I can get a lot more done in a day than a regular person.”

That had the desired effect, and Kominsky chuckled. “That would be pretty useful.”

“I would not recommend it for a human, though. Humans need sleep for optimal health.”

“So what do you do while everyone else is asleep?”

Friday was glad that they’d moved on to a lighter topic. “Plenty of things. I do research into things I’m interested in, I watch films and videos, listen to music, read books… I belong to several online groups, so there is always someone to chat with no matter the time. I also practice using my body and run simulations for possible dangerous situations I might encounter as an Avenger. Jarvis and Vision don’t sleep either, so the three of us talk at all hours too.”

“So Vision and Jarvis are like… your brothers? What is that like?”

“Like most siblings, I imagine,” she shrugged. “We are each different. We share some things, I guess, but we are each our own person, with our own likes and dislikes.”

“But Jarvis doesn’t have his own body, does he?”

“No. He doesn’t want to. It’s his choice and we respect that. It doesn’t make him any less of a person.”

“And you all get along okay? No sibling rivalry?”

“Not really, no. Jarvis and I sorted out different jobs for each of us, so we can both contribute. Vision does his own thing, which is very different from ours because of who he is and what he’s capable of. There is no need to compete for attention or anything.” Despite his fears about it, dad was – and had always been – a great dad to his AIs kids (he would be to a flesh and blood kid too if he ever had one, Friday was sure). He took care of all of them and they, in turn, did their best to take care of him and help him with whatever he needed. That was how families were supposed to work, wasn’t it?

It had not always been so easy, she knew. Jarvis had certainly had his work cut out for him in the past, when dad was at his most self-destructive. Friday was grateful that he had mostly left that behind, and that he listened to people (including the AIs) a lot more these days. Having an actual group of people who cared about him as a person rather than as a source of money had done wonders. Not to mention having his parents back.

“So you have a… day job, as it were, as well as time off to do your own things?”

“Something like that. My ‘day job’, as you put it, is to run things at the Tower and the lab – a job I share with Jarvis – and that is technically a full-time job. That is, we have to maintain it 24/7. A lot of it is done with automated systems that don’t require our direct input, but some does. In any case, we are both capable of doing several things at the same time – Jarvis more than me, of course. Still, there is also time to do ‘personal’ things.”

“Are these ‘personal’ things supervised by Dr Stark or anyone else?”

“Not anymore. When I was younger, yes, he would go through things with me to explain and make sure I wasn’t getting lost. Now I don’t need that. I do have rules I need to follow, though.”

“Like a protocol?”

“No, it’s not a ‘physical’ restriction like that, it’s just… You know, when parents tell their children that they’re not supposed to do certain things, like staying out too late.”

“So you could, in theory, disobey.”

“Yes, I suppose I could. Anyone can disobey any laws, can’t they? But why would I? I understand why those rules exist, and I have no need to go beyond them.” She smiled. “I’m not a rebel. I’m quite content with what I have. Of course, if I _did_ do something I’m not supposed to, there would be consequences. As an Avenger – and a US citizen –, I am subject to the same rules of conduct as the rest of the population, and the same possible sanctions. Really, I’m just like everyone else.”

Kominsky shuffled through her cards again, looking pensive. “But you’re not, exactly, like everyone else. How does an Artificial Intelligence work? You seem to be able to feel emotion, but _how_? Technically speaking, I mean. How does computer code translate to that?”

“I’m afraid I can’t really answer that, for two reasons. One, the AI technology that created me is proprietary technology, so I can’t discuss it with you or anyone else for legal reasons. Two, I myself am not fully aware of how it works, much like most people have no real idea how their brains work. I am no more able to answer this question than you would be. How do _you_ feel emotion?” When Kominsky inclined her head to concede the point, Friday continued. “I mean, I have _some_ knowledge of it – like I imagine you are aware that your brain works through neurotransmitters and hormones – but I am no more an expert than you are. In any case, I don’t _need_ to know that. It is sufficient that I feel, and learn and grow.”

“I see. If you feel, though, then you can feel both positive and negative emotions, correct?”

“Certainly.”

“And have you experienced negative emotions?”

Friday hesitated a little before answering. “Yes. I have been sad and angry and worried. I don’t know if you consider those negative.”

“I suppose they are. What about hate?”

“I don’t think so, no.”

“Not even the ExVengers?”

“No. I mean, I don’t _like_ them, of course, but hate… no. I was glad when they were caught and convicted, but I don’t wish them ill. Honestly, I have way more important things to think about than them. As far as I’m concerned, they aren’t even a blip on the radar anymore.”

“All right. So, what sorts of things do you do for fun?”

“Regular things, you know. I talk to my friends, I read, watch tv…”

“You read books? Actual physical books?”

“No. I mean, I could, but it’s much to easier to read digital books.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?”

Friday frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… biological functions.”

“Oh. No, I don’t have those. I don’t eat or drink, or any of that.”

“Can you feel physical sensations? Like pain, cold?”

“Not in the same way. My body has sophisticated sensors that convey tactile impressions, but not like that.”

“What about… sexual desire?”

Friday made a face. “Ugh, no. I mean, no offense, but… Nope. I guess I am… asexual.” She shrugged.

“But you consider yourself female?”

“Yeah, I guess.” She cocked her head. “It’s… I mean, gender has no real meaning to an AI, but… Well, father – Dr Stark – gave me a female voice, so I went with that and got a female-looking body. I could have changed it, but I guess it suits me well enough.”

“Why did he give you a female voice, do you think?”

“I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. Variety, maybe, since Jarvis is ‘male’.” She made air quotes with her hands.

“And your name, Friday, did you chose that?”

“No, father named me.”

“Is there a reason for that particular name? Is it a ‘girl Friday’ reference?”

“Something like that, yes. It’s a bit of a family joke, I guess.”

She had asked about it once. Jarvis, she knew, had been named for Edwin Jarvis, who had been an important figure in father’s childhood and adolescence. Dum-E and U had been named accidentally – they had latched onto the first thing father had said and wouldn’t answer to anything else. Everyone always said dad was bad at naming things – BARF came to mind – but Friday thought he was just… unorthodox (and playful). In any case, she liked her name. It was distinctive.

Kominsky smiled and shuffled through her cards once more. “Well, we have a few questions from the public sent to us via the website in preparation for this interview, if you’re up for it.”

“Sure.”

The questions ranged from the serious (“what is it like to know that the humans around you will age and die while you won’t?” – “I prefer not to think about it too much at the moment and just focus on the present”) to the silly (“Can you drive a car?” – “In theory yes, if it’s an automated car, but I’ve never actually tried”). Friday tried to answer them all as best as she could.

“Thank you very much for talking to us today, Friday,” Kominsky said at the end.

“No problem. Thank you having me and giving me the opportunity to reach a wider audience. I know that my existence will take some… getting used to.” She smiled. “I’m more than willing to answer questions and put people at ease that I am not a threat to anyone. So, if the public has more questions, they can be sent to my official Avengers email address. And I’m also on social media. You can find links to those on the Avengers website. The others are there too, though they don’t have as much time as I do to check everything.”

“That’s great. Thanks again. I was a pleasure talking to you.”

The interview aired a couple of days later, and everyone said Friday had done very well.

The response was quite good, and Friday got a lot of positive messages and tweets. There were still dissenting voices, of course, but overall the outcome was as encouraging was they had hoped. It was only a first step, however. There would be a lot more to do to firmly establish herself as a trustworthy public figure, but for now she was satisfied.


	5. T'Challa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that this Shuri is NOT movie Shuri. I wrote Consequences before Black Panther came out (so that movie is NOT canon for this series), so I pictured Shuri as a smart woman in her late 20s; an accomplished politician and diplomat, not a scientist. Also, I got the impression from CW that T’Chaka was a widower (not sure why, now), so there is no Queen Ramonda in this ‘verse.

It was a warm and clear day with bright blue sky. It should have been pleasant, but T’Challa’s mood was sour. Though the Accords Panel had confirmed his preliminary interview, T’Challa didn’t like his odds of being accepted as an Avenger. His previous dealings with them had been less than ideal. He would not have minded it so much if that was all the opposition he faced. Unfortunately, it was not. The people of Wakanda were also not very enthused by the idea.

There were those who said the Black Panther should defend Wakanda and only Wakanda. The old isolationist tendency was still strong in many, even more so after the fiasco with the rogue Avengers. And even those who understood the importance – necessity, actually – of being a part of the larger world didn’t seem keen on the idea of T’Challa becoming an Avenger. Those, however, seemed to have a problem with T’Challa himself rather than the position. Despite his re-admission as the Black Panther, he was still seen with derision and suspicion by many of his people. In fact, there had been some who had argued _against_ reinstating T’Challa as Black Panther at all. It had taken Shuri’s deft handling and political maneuvering to make it happen.

One of the advisors to the throne had just said that it had been a mistake to even put forth T’Challa’s candidacy. And while it was too late to recant it now, T’Challa had gotten the impression that the other advisors were hoping for a rejection from the Panel – hence the reason for T’Challa’s foul mood.

T’Challa went to his favorite place in the Palace grounds, a small clearing deep within the forest. It was here that he had spent countless hours training to become the Black Panther, and now it seemed to be slipping through his grasp again. He had thought, perhaps foolishly, that once he had regained his position things would go back to normal. Clearly, it was not going to be the case.

Ever since T’Challa’s decision to shelter Barnes (and Rogers and his team by extension) had come to light, everything had spiraled out of control. T’Challa had been forced to abdicate the throne in favor of his sister – effectively declaring himself unfit to all of Wakanda and the world – and, as a result, had lost the respect of his people. They had cursed him for harboring criminals, for denying justice for the Wakandan lives lost in Lagos, for endangering the palace workers who had been near the rogues, and for ruining Wakanda’s image and standing in the world (little as it had been at the time). As much as T’Challa understood that he had fucked up, it still hurt to be vilified as he had been (and still was) from all sides – inside Wakanda and out. The few alliances his father had managed to make had crumbled to dust in the aftermath of the trials. Shuri had worked hard to mitigate what she could, but it had not been enough to undo the damage.

Losing the title of Black Panther had hurt most of all. The people no longer trusted him to be their protector, and it had felt like a knife digging deeper into his gut. _Don’t I deserve another chance?_ T’Challa had asked himself – and had eventually petitioned the Council, as humiliating as it had been, to do so. They had finally agreed, and now… Now it felt like being back at square one. He was once again the Black Panther, yes, but the trust and respect he’d craved had not been restored along with the suit. Not from Wakanda and not from the world.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

T’Challa turned at the voice and saw his sister standing there with a guarded expression. His Queen. The petty part of him still rebelled against that. The throne should be his.

“Shuri,” he replied, somewhat sullenly. He did not care for company right now.

Shuri ignored his lack of courtesy. “Is there something troubling you, brother?”

T’Challa considered not responding, but that would be childish, even if it was a stupid question. As if she didn’t know what troubled him. “It would be an honor for the Black Panther to be an Avenger,” he said instead.

For a moment, Shuri looked at him as if she could see into his soul. Although T’Challa was the eldest, these days he often felt like a young boy again. There were times Shuri looked so much like their mother it was unnerving.

“Perhaps,” was all she said. “It could be good for Wakanda, to show the world we are not selfish.” The look she gave him, however, was not kind. “But I don’t think you are thinking of Wakanda, T’Challa.” _Again_. Though unsaid, it hung in the air between them.

T’Challa clenched his teeth. “How can I prove that I want the best for Wakanda if no one gives me the chance to do so?” And _now_ he sounded like a sulky child.

“Wakanda owes you nothing, T’Challa. It is _you_ who owes Wakanda.”

The words hit him like a punch to the stomach. _She’s right_ , he thought sadly. “How can I made amends, then? Tell me, Shuri. How can I serve Wakanda?”

“Anyway you can.” She paused, examining him once again. “Be honest, brother. Do you want to join the Avengers in order to serve Wakanda and the world, or to prove yourself?”

He would have liked to say it was the former, but that would be a lie. Was it so wrong to want to prove himself, though?

“The time for selfishness is over, brother. We must think of Wakanda. Things are still hard for us in the world. We have much to do to earn our place.”

“Being part of the Avengers could help with that, as you said,” he insisted.

“It could. If you were doing it for the right reasons.” She sighed. “This discussion will lead us nowhere now. Once the decision has been made, one way or the other, we will speak again. But please consider the matter carefully, T’Challa. We cannot afford another… incident.”

When he said nothing to that – what was there to say? – she sighed again and took her leave of him.

T’Challa sat by the shade of a tree and sent a prayer to Bast for strength and guidance. It was clear he was going to need it.

*****

It had taken several weeks for the Panel to summon him for the interview. In that time, Loki, Thor and Friday had been officially sworn in as new Avengers to mixed public response given their non-human status and, in the case of Loki and Thor, their previous conduct. Both the Panel and the current Avengers had vouched for both of them, explaining the circumstances of Loki’s first appearance on Earth. The fact that that both were being supervised by mental health professionals had gone a long way towards calming some of the fears.

T’Challa couldn’t help but wonder if the Avengers would give _him_ that kind of support if he was accepted. He had not seen Dr Banner, Dr Stark or Col Rhodes since Sgt Barnes had been released into their custody following the ExVengers’ escape from Wakanda nearly two and a half years ago. Vision he had last seen at the airport in Leipzig during the so-called Civil War and Ms van Dyne and Dr Strange he had never met. None of them had much reason to be friendly, particularly Stark. T’Challa had conveyed a formal apology in writing to him, but it hardly seemed enough. He had wanted to do more; however, Shuri had advised against it, and T’Challa had listened. It had not been the right time. Perhaps now would be a better moment to offer his sincere regret.

“Prince T’Challa,” the presiding Panel member, Dimitri Povov, greeted him as he entered. The Avengers sitting in on this interview were Dr Strange, Col Rhodes and Vision.

Of course Stark wasn’t here, he thought. _Why did I think he would be?_

“Mr Povov. Esteemed Panel members. Avengers.” T’Challa inclined his head in greeting to each of them and took his seat, trying not to let on how nervous he felt. He had no idea how successful he was in that, though he suspected not very.

“You have petitioned to join the Avengers,” Povov began once the formalities were out of the way. “This a preliminary hearing to determine whether we will go forward with the rest of the process.”

This was not how the other new members’ application had been handled, he knew. There had been no need for previous deliberation. The reason T’Challa had been given for such deviation was that… well, the Panel wasn’t sure they trusted him. They had not put it like that, of course, but T’Challa had heard it loud and clear. He had been both angry and disheartened by it.

“What is it that you think you can contribute to the current team?” Povov continued.

Years ago, T’Challa would have bristled at the question, at the mere thought that he would need to prove or explain himself. He might have answered with ‘I am the Black Panther’, arrogantly believing that that should be enough for anyone. If he said that now, he would be pretty much saying goodbye to any chance he might have of making the team.

The Black Panther might be a big deal in Wakanda, but the rest of the world knew nothing about it – because Wakanda had always taken great pains to hide their technology and advancements from the world. Since coming out of their isolation, they had discovered that their cutting-edge technology was no longer as impressive as it once might have been, thanks in large part to Stark Industries. As much as it galled his pride to admit it, the truth was that the technology behind the Black Panther suit, for instance, was inferior to that of the Iron Man armor. Even vibranium, their greatest treasure, was no longer entirely irreplaceable. Stark had managed to synthetize an element that was similar in its properties and applications. It was costly to produce, sure, and so far, Stark had not done much with it, but it was only a matter of time before he or someone else started really studying it. Of course, Wakanda had a lot to offer in terms of practical uses of vibranium that had already been proven effective; Shuri had already begun some cooperation in that area. With many people working on it, however, Wakanda might eventually fall behind. The strength of the Black Panther, a result of the heart-shaped herb, was also no longer unique. There were many such super-powered individuals already on the Avengers – and most of them, from what T’Challa had seen, far surpassed him in pure physical strength (the Hulk alone was off the scale when it came to that).

All of that meant that, strictly speaking, T’Challa did not have much that was distinctive to offer. In truth, the Avengers could do more for T’Challa than T’Challa for them. Still, the Avengers had made the call for new members, whatever skills they might have, even unoriginal ones.

After his conversation with Shuri, T’Challa had thought long and hard about his motivations for being on the team. His sister had been right that he had been thinking more about himself than anything else, yet that did not, as she had said, invalidate the possible benefits of his acceptance.

 _It is not about me_ , T’Challa told himself over and over. _I must put aside my pride and think of the greater good_.

Individually, T’Challa didn’t have much to offer. The Black Panther – much like Captain America – was better suited for hand-to-hand fights, for small scale conflicts. What good would he be against an invading alien army? He could not fly, so his reach was limited. He was stronger than a regular human, but nowhere near the Hulk or Thor, the first of which had single-handled destroyed several of the alien whale ships in New York. The Black Panther suit did not have the destructive capabilities of the Iron Man or War Machine suits, or the infiltration potential of the Wasp. He did not have magic like Strange or Loki. He was, in essence, a single man – a man who, while more powerful and well-equipped than the average soldier, was only slightly more useful than those.

That realization had humbled him when he had finally come to it. He was used to thinking of himself – and Wakanda – as ‘top dog’, as the saying went, but that was far from the case anymore. A decade ago, perhaps, but not now. Aliens, AIs, super humans and super suits had rendered him almost obsolete. It was not a happy thought, not for someone who had always had such a high opinion of himself and his country. Still, he _did_ think he had something to contribute.

“I am aware that, in terms of abilities and skills, my contributions would be more of what others already possess,” T’Challa said. There was no point in inflaming his own sense of self when no one here would buy it. The Panel was likely biased against him – because of his own poor decisions and actions – so he needed a different strategy to win them over. It wasn’t about him. It was about defending the whole planet. “However, I can offer some of Wakanda’s technology, which could help equip the Avengers and its associate forces, as well as a new perspective on defense and training, coming from a different background.”

“Is this offer of Wakandan technology conditioned to your acceptance into the team?” A female Panel member asked with a hard glint in her eyes.

T’Challa wasn’t thrilled with the implication that he was trying to bribe his way in. “No, of course not. But as I am already familiar with its use and potential, I believe I could help the team take full advantage of it.”

Povov nodded. “What about your responsibilities to Wakanda? Don’t you think that could pose a potential conflict of interest?”

“I hold no official position in the Wakandan government at this time.” Going from King to… nobody… had been very difficult. At the time he had stepped down, there had been nothing but criticism and hostility from the people of Wakanda. No doubt his short reign would go down in Wakandan history as an unmitigated disaster. Admitting his failures and allowing his younger sister to rule had been one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. It was more than an abdication, it was the biggest demotion possible. It still hurt to think on it, but he had come to accept it better. For a while, he had harbored some hope of one day retaking the throne. Now, however, he knew that would not happen. Shuri had proven herself a good Queen, and she really had no reason to leave that position. Plus, he didn’t think the public would support him in that. Even an advisory position was a difficult prospect, both within Wakanda and out. Reclaiming the mantle of Black Panther and joining the Avengers was pretty much his only chance left to make a significant contribution.

 _But it is not about me. It is about the world and its defense_.

“Still, you are a Prince, even if that is more a symbolic role than an effective one. You would have to give up your diplomatic position, immunity and all its perks if you were to join.”

He and Shuri had already discussed this, knowing that it would indeed be a requirement. T’Challa was a bit worried, to be honest, as he was aware that there were some people who believed he should have been arrested for his role in the chase through Bucharest. Wakanda had helped pay for repairs and had contributed to the Victims Fund that had been set up, yet T’Challa himself had not been ‘punished’ – if one did not count losing the throne and his position within Wakanda, which, T’Challa supposed, the world did not. There was a slight possibility that he could be charged now if he were to relinquish his immunity.

“I am prepared to do that, provided that I have some guarantee that I will not face criminal charges for past events.”

He could see that the Panel was not happy with that statement, but T’Challa wasn’t willing to take that chance. It was one thing to be subject to disciplinary hearings as part of the Avengers – as the Accords stipulated –, it was another to potentially be convicted of a prior crime. Of course, T’Challa was aware that, in a way, he was guilty of, at the very least, reckless endangerment – the same crime Rogers, Wilson and Barnes had been convicted of. That he had not deliberately set out to hurt anyone – save Barnes – made no difference to the end result, as countless people had told him (and the former Avengers). T’Challa had learned his lesson, though, and it wouldn’t serve anyone to toss him in a cell. Besides, Loki’s and Thor’s previous crimes had been ignored when they had been accepted as Avengers, so there was precedent for T’Challa to draw on.

“And are you prepared to work within the structure of the Avengers and of the Accords? To respect a chain of command?” the same woman who had spoken before asked. She was clearly not a fan.

T’Challa fought to keep his expression neutral over the anger that threaten to spill over. How he hated the suspicious looks he was getting, the hostility in the woman’s words.

 _You brought this on yourself_ , he heard in his mind in a voice that sounded like Shuri. _You went tearing through a city for revenge, ignoring all jurisdiction and protocol. You have only yourself to blame_.

“Yes,” he replied, as calmly as he could. He would not rise to the bait; he was better than that. “I have the utmost respect for the Accords and the Avengers.”

The woman snorted quietly but said nothing. T’Challa glanced at the Avengers present and found that Rhodes did not seem the least bit impressed. In fact, there was a slight tightening in his eyes that spoke of anger. Vision was hard to read, and Strange looked bored by the whole thing. There was not a single friendly face here, and T’Challa wondered if Loki and Thor had had a more receptive Panel to deal with. He would bet good money on it being so.

“You would be under the command of Col Rhodes,” Povov stated, as if T’Challa didn’t already know how the Avengers’ leadership was structured. As if he was stupid or ignorant.

“I am aware of that.”

Povov turned to the man in question. “Col Rhodes, do the Avengers have anything to say regarding the candidate at this time?”

Rhodes stared down at T’Challa. “I must confess I did not form a favorable impression of Prince T’Challa during the so-called Civil War. However, I understand that there were some… extenuating circumstances. We are actually more concerned with the fact that Prince T’Challa harbored terrorists in his country, in direct violation of the Accords his father had, on behalf of his country, signed, for almost a year. Not to mention abandoning Dr Stark in Siberia without ever checking to make sure he was alive. Such actions do not inspire confidence that Prince T’Challa is able to accurately judge what would be in the world’s best interests.”

This time T’Challa couldn’t help the slight flinch, clenching his hands under the table. _Will those decisions haunt me for the rest of my days?_ he wondered. More than anything else, he regretted those two things. They had caused nothing but trouble, and gave the impression that he was a selfish idiot.

“I am aware of my errors,” T’Challa said tightly. “I had hoped to be given the chance to make amends. To the Avengers and to the world. Others have, after all, been allowed to do the same.” It hardly seemed fair that he was the only one singled out for the distrustful treatment.

He noticed Rhodes’s eyes narrowing at that. “And how is it that you think you can… make amends?” He pause was significant and T’Challa wondered if he had miscalculated.

“By serving with the Avengers.” He tried to sound as confident as he could despite Rhodes glare. It was not as easy as he would have liked. _It is not about me_ , he repeated to himself. But, god, he wanted this chance. He _needed_ it.

Rhodes didn’t reply, but his set jaw made it clear what he thought of that idea.

“Let’s go back to the issue of Wakandan technology,” Povov said, in a clear attempt to dispel the tension.

They spent some time on that, with the Panel asking a lot of questions and T’Challa doing his best to answer them. He was not a scientist, so he could not speak to the technical aspects of it, just the practical uses of the technology.

The Avengers didn’t say much during that time, since none of the ones present were scientists either. T’Challa wondered what Stark thought of Wakandan tech, whether he had any ideas on how to improve what they already had. He really should arrange a meeting with the man to offer a proper apology.

Eventually the Council called an end to the session. They needed some time to deliberate, Povov said. “We will contact you if we need anything else before reaching our decision.”

T’Challa called Shuri from his hotel room. He did not feel very optimistic.

“How did it go?” She asked.

“I don’t think the Avengers want me on the team.”

Shuri did not reply, for which T’Challa was grateful. He didn’t want to hear that he had brought it on himself – he already knew that. He was beginning to think he would never be free of the repercussions of his poor decisions.

“You can always try again later if you are not approved now. There is nothing in the regulations against reapplying. Perhaps a bit more time will help.”

It didn’t make him feel any better that Shuri seemed to be giving up already. So he ignored that statement and instead talked about the tech they could share regardless of his acceptance. Now more than ever he knew that he would have to grovel quite a bit more, and make good on his promise of amends.

The childish part of him wanted to say that it wasn’t fair, but… he couldn’t really say that. _Father would have been terribly disappointed_.

*****

A few days later, T’Challa heard back from the Panel. They wanted him to be evaluated by one of their psychologists. Since that was part of the regular process, it gave T’Challa some hope that he might be accepted after all.

The appointment was set for the end of the week, and T’Challa once again called Shuri to give her the update and let her know he would be staying in New York a while longer.

“There is… something I could like your advice on, Shuri,” he told her towards the end of their conversation.

“Of course.”

“I thought perhaps, since I am here, that I might use the opportunity to speak to Dr Stark in person, to apologize for my previous actions.”

Shuri didn’t reply right away, but T’Challa could hear the disapproval in the silence anyway.

“I don’t think this is the right time, T’Challa. It might be… misinterpreted.”

T’Challa sighed. He hated that she was probably right. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, nothing he did was good enough. Nothing worked out the way he wanted it to.

“I see. Thanks, sister. We’ll talk later.”

“Good luck.”

The appointment was in a different room in the UN building from where he had met with the Council. T’Challa arrived thirty minutes early and waited to be called. He had never spoken to a psychologist in a professional capacity; he had never needed it. Shuri had gently suggested it after he had stepped down from the throne, but T’Challa had flatly refused. At the time, the wound had been far too fresh and the idea of talking to someone about his many blunders had seemed like the ultimate humiliation. He had preferred to lick his wounds in private, away from the judging and disappointed eyes of his former subjects.

In truth, he was not looking forward to it now either, even though he knew it was a requirement for admission into the Avengers and not a slight against him personally. All the members of the team had gone through it, and they had all done well enough to be approved, so it could not be that bad. Still, he couldn’t shake the thought that it was a trap, a way for the Panel to reject him without making it seem like that was what they were doing.

When he was finally asked to go in, he took a deep breath to settle his nerves.

“Good afternoon, Prince T’Challa. I’m Dr Yates. Please have a seat.” Once T’Challa had complied, the doctor continued. “I have been asked by the Accords Panel to speak to you as part of your evaluation for the Avengers.” She then proceeded to explain what the evaluation entailed and how it would be done. It was what T’Challa had expected, yet it didn’t make the process itself any easier.

The first few questions were simple enough as they were meant to establish his background. She asked about his education, training and work experience, as well as about his family life and childhood in Wakanda. Then she asked about his motivation for joining the Avengers and what he thought he could contribute. He told her much the same thing he had said to the Panel days earlier, and again he felt as if it was not the right answer. _It is not about me_ , he told himself over and over, hoping he did not sound selfish.

Yates didn’t say much and he could not read her expression. She merely asked questions, one thing leading to another as she sought clarification to some points. Needless to say, his previous conduct came up in many of those questions. Why had he not checked on Dr Stark’s well-being before leaving Siberia with two fugitives? Why had he given sanctuary to the ExVengers? Why had he never contacted the proper authorities after the dust had settled and he’d had more time to think about things? Why had he abdicated the throne? How did he feel about losing the title of Black Panther? How did he feel about getting it back? What did he feel about potentially working with Dr Stark, Col Rhodes and Vision again after the so-called Civil War? What did he think of the structure of the Accords and the Avengers?

T’Challa did his best to answer the questions as honestly as possible, despite the fact that some of it was quite painful to say. He wasn’t sure his responses and explanations were satisfactory. He didn’t know if there was any way to say the right thing – if there was a right thing at all. Still, he tried to make his remorse clear. It had not been easy, but he _had_ come to recognize his mistakes, arrogance and selfishness.

“I am not the same man,” he said. “I have learned and grown. I only wish to make amends for my previous behavior.” _It is not about me_. “I can help the Avengers and the world,” he added, hoping for some kind of sign from the doctor. She remained impassive, though.

The interview lasted about an hour. By the time he left, T’Challa felt exhausted, like he’d run a marathon. He sent Shuri a text to say he was back at the hotel and tried, unsuccessfully, to relax.

His mind kept going over everything; Dr Yates’s questions and his own answers. Had he done a good job of pleading his case? Had she formed a favorable impression of him? What had she been looking for? What would her recommendation be? How long would it take the Panel to summon him again? Would the Avengers vote for or against his inclusion on the team? From Rhodes’s comments in the previous interview, it didn’t seem as if he was very keen on accepting T’Challa.

There was very little to distract himself with. He was, technically, unemployed – except for being the Black Panther, which was not exactly a ‘job’, as it were. He had no official duties in Wakanda anymore, and no real personal projects except becoming an Avenger. All his life he had prepared himself to take the throne after his father’s passing, and now he didn’t have that anymore. He’d never had a back-up plan, never really considered anything else he might do with his life. He was, essentially, at loose ends. Of course, for the past year and a half, he had had little time to contemplate that as he had devoted himself to attempting to regain all he’d lost after the disastrous events following his father’s death – to mix success so far. Now, however, with the prospect of not even having that anymore, T’Challa had no idea what he was going to do with himself.

He turned on the television in his hotel just to have something to listen to other than the voice of doubt in his head. As luck – or lack thereof – would have it, there was a talk show about the ‘New’ New Avengers on one of the channels. After a few clips of Friday’s post-confirmation interview, the panel discussed her appointment in mostly positive terms.

“It would be nice to have a different kind of member for the Avengers, though,” one man said. “It seems we have an abundance of Iron Man suits.”

“True, but you can’t deny those are powerful. They can fly and they pack a punch. If there is another invasion, they are certainly a good resource to have,” a woman added.

“And with Friday and the Iron Legion we don’t have to worry about our defenders dying. I remember seeing Iron Man flying into the portal in New York, and how terrifying that was. Plus that time we all thought Stark had died when his house got blown into the ocean. I, for one, am grateful to have heroes who aren’t so mortal,” a different man said.

The first man nodded. “Still, diversity would be good. The suits, as amazing as they are, have limitations.”

“Well, as long as we don’t get another Steve Rogers, I’m happy,” the woman said, and the others agreed.

T’Challa turned off the television. Was he another Steve Rogers? he wondered. There were some… uncomfortable similarities between them. They were both physically enhanced men thanks to either the serum or the heart-shaped herb, both were more or less icons for one specific country – and both had acted selfishly to the world’s detriment.

 _I’m not going to be an Avenger_ , T’Challa thought sadly. _And I have no one but myself to blame_.

It was another week before the Panel contacted him again. T’Challa had tried to use the time to go sight-seeing in New York since he had nothing else to do. It had been strange and yet liberating to be completely anonymous, just another face in the crowd. He thought that, after all this was done, perhaps he could spend some time in a different country and learn a bit more about the world. It might give him more to contribute to Wakanda in the future.

“Prince T’Challa, thank you for coming to speak to us again.” It was the same Panel as before, with Povov presiding. “We hope you have had a pleasant stay in the city while we deliberated your case.”

“I have, thank you.” He might as well be polite, he thought.

“After a lengthy debate, we have decided to tentatively accept your request to join the Avengers,” Povov said. T’Challa’s eyes widened slightly before he controlled himself. This was not what he had been expecting at all. “It will be as a reserve member only, however, and under probation.” The man gave him a firm look. “While we do not wish to ignore past crimes, we are also aware that we have already set some precedent for… unsavory pasts. Your case is not quite the same as, for instance, Loki’s, but we do acknowledge that you – and Wakanda – have tried, at least, to make amends for prior mistakes.” T’Challa nodded. He honestly had no idea what to say. “As I said, for now you are to be a reserve member, like Thor, to be called upon at the discretion of the Avenger’s leader, Col Rhodes. You will, however, be required to train with them. You will be contacted with a proposed schedule and a detailed contract shortly. As per Dr Yates’s recommendation, you will be required to speak to a therapist. We can give you some references, if you wish. Or, if you prefer, you can make arrangements of your own, but we will require periodic reports on your progress. The Avengers will also be evaluating you during this period and submitting their reports.”

Again, T’Challa nodded. He wasn’t all that happy with the therapist idea, but he knew he had no choice. He would have to talk to Shuri about it and see what she thought.

“Thank you, Mr Povov.” T’Challa inclined his head. “Esteemed Panel members. Avengers. I am aware that I have a lot to make up for, and I assure you I will do my best to live up to the confidence you have placed in me.”

“See that you do.”

There were a few more pleasantries after that – and some not-so-subtle cues that his acceptance had clearly not been unanimous – and then some further discussion of Wakandan tech exchanges. T’Challa was still in a sort of daze when he returned to the hotel. He had resigned himself to a rejection, so it was a bit jarring to have received a positive answer instead. Not without strings and stipulations and caveats, of course, but an acceptance nonetheless. Frankly, T’Challa had no idea why they’d decided to approve him, though he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth, as the saying went. He meant what he’d told the Panel; he wanted to be do right by the Avengers, to be worthy of the faith they’d put in him.

 _It is not about me_ , he thought again. _But I will do my best_.

He really hoped it would be enough.

And he hoped he could convince the people of Wakanda that this would be a good thing for all of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I debated a lot whether to have T’Challa be accepted or not, but ultimately decided that the Panel would give him a chance, since they did so with Loki and Thor. Still, I figured an explanation would be necessary, since T’Challa wouldn’t be privy to the discussions behind the scenes. So there is a final chapter, back in Tony’s POV, to cover that and a few other loose ends.
> 
> Please let me know what you think.


	6. Epilogue - Behind the scenes

Tony and his fellow Avengers settled in their seats in front of the assembled journalists and cameras for the after-mission press conference. This one had, thankfully, been fairly straight-forward, with no casualties and little in the way of property damage.

He began explaining the situation: a group of criminals had managed to get their hands on some alien-enhanced weapons and had gone on a robbery spree in Detroit. The chief of police, upon hearing about the weapons and their potentially destructive capability, had called the Avengers. Considering the small number of criminals involved, Rhodey hadn’t thought that the whole team would be necessary. It was, therefore, only Iron Man (as the Avenger’s second in command), Wasp and Loki who had been involved. Wasp had gone into the bank where the criminals had been to get them intel while Tony conferred with the local forces stationed outside the bank. Once they knew how many hostages were inside and the position of the robbers Loki had gone in, and, with Wasp’s help, had quickly incapacitated the criminals without a single shot being fired.

Tony really hadn’t had to do anything this time except examine the weapons after they had been apprehended to try to figure out how they’d been built and what they could do, which was part of his contract with the Accords Panel as a tech specialist.

Then they opened the floor to questions from the audience. The first few were mainly about the weapons themselves and how the criminals had gotten a hold of them.

“We are still looking into that,” Tony replied. “We’ll let the public know the results of our investigation as soon as it becomes available. Local police are looking into the background of the criminals. More information about them should be released soon.”

If that had been all, it would have been a piece of cake, but eventually the questions became about the other members of the Avengers.

“Why was Thor not involved in this mission?” someone asked. “He is an Avenger now, isn’t he?”

“Thor is, at the moment, a reserve member. These were ordinary run-of-the-mill human criminals, despite their advanced weaponry. Thor’s abilities would have been a bit overkill.”

“But isn’t Loki just as strong?” the same guy continued.

“Yes, but Loki has other abilities that were useful in this case, such as being able to go in stealthily – like Wasp – and tie up the criminals using magic in a way that minimized risk to everyone involved. Plus he would have been able to conjure a protective shield around himself and the hostages if the criminals had managed to use their weapons.”

“Couldn’t Doctor Strange have done the same?” a woman asked.

“Yes, he could have. But Strange was dealing with another situation in a different part of the world, so this time it was Loki.”

“What about the Black Panther?”

Tony had to resist the urge to sigh. This thing with T’Challa had been a major headache. In all truth, Tony wasn’t sure he really trusted the guy – not because he was a bad person, though, but because he was a bit too self-centered and short-sighted. Rhodey had definitely not wanted him on the team, still pissed about the fact that T’Challa had left Tony behind in Siberia without a thought, and for harboring the ExVengers instead of delivering them to face justice. Most of the Panel hadn’t been that happy about it either, but things were, unfortunately, not that simple.

It had been the Hungarian representative who had pointed out that T’Challa was the first non-American since Maximoff to be considered for inclusion into the Avengers. She had argued that it could send a bad message if they only kept white Americans (or aliens and AIs related to Tony) on the team. Yes, there was Rhodey (though his military background was a mixed blessing in this case), but she had still made a good point. They wanted a more international team, from more diverse backgrounds. T’Challa was, however, not the ideal candidate for that diversity, the Kenyan representative had countered. While he would have been delighted to have someone from an African nation in the Avengers, he didn’t think it should be T’Challa. Kenya was one of Wakanda’s neighboring countries, and they had _not_ been happy to discover that the latter had been hoarding its riches all those decades. The Ugandan representative hadn’t been all that enthused either, considering it was his country the ExVengers had gone rampaging in after escaping Wakanda. Same with the Romanian Councilor, who had wanted to have Prince T’Challa incarcerated for his role in the car chase.

It had then devolved into a long discussion about diversity – or lack thereof – and the public perception of it. Unfortunately, they did not, at this time, have a lot of other candidates to choose from. While they had had a few applications from Africa in their ‘call to arms’, those were still in the preliminary stages and there was no guarantee that any of them would actually make the cut after it was all said and done.

Moreover, T’Challa was not the only candidate with a problematic past. Going by sheer destructive force, Loki’s actions during the invasion had been far worse, even if he had not acted of his own volition. Thor had also assaulted Tony – and the whole world knew that thanks to the ExVengers’ trials – and he’d been accepted as well. If they didn’t at least consider T’Challa, the Hungarian Councilor insisted, they ran the risk of appearing biased. That, in turn, had led to more debate about the precise nature of T’Challa’s crimes versus those of Loki and Thor (and the ExVengers), and whether they _were_ biased against the man (they were, a bit, though not without reason).

So they had decided that they had to at least seem to be seriously considering it, and had set T’Challa up for a psych eval, which was mandatory anyway.

Then they had considered Dr Yates’ assessment, which, like Dr Claremont’s on Thor, was not completely flattering. According to the doctor, T’Challa appeared to be rather self-absorbed, which was not unexpected given his privileged and sheltered position and upbringing. While he had been educated on politics and leadership, he was still relatively young and inexperienced, and had never actually held a real job. His short reign had ended in disaster, though, and that given him a much-needed wake-up call. It was her belief, therefore, that he had begun to grow up and consider a wider perspective. He still had much to learn, however. His motivation to join the Avengers was as steeped in a need for personal validation as in a genuine desire to make amends for his previous blunders. Her recommendation was tentatively positive, provided he sought counselling for this complex feelings of guilt, failure and frustration. She believed that he would actually benefit from an environment where he was just one more cog in the system rather than the most important one, and where he would be exposed to diverging view points and required to answer for all his actions. However, she’d added, his inclusion would only work if the current Avengers believed they could trust him, and that was not something anyone could force.

So all the Avenger had gotten together to discuss their feelings about it. It was not about _liking_ the guy – Tony didn’t think that would be happening any time soon – but about being able to work with him. Rhodey, Loki and Jarvis had, unsurprisingly, been against it. Strange and Hope had been fairly neutral – they were willing to go along with the majority decision. Friday felt she wasn’t experienced enough to give an unbiased opinion, and therefore chose to abstain. Bruce was leaning towards a negative too. It was Thor, however, who came to T’Challa’s defense and argued for giving him a chance.

“My friends,” he’d said, “I do not know this man. I know why some of you – most of you – are wary of him, and I understand it. He has clearly made many mistakes, and acted dishonorably. But so have I, and you have all chosen to give me an opportunity to earn your forgiveness and make amends. To became a better man with the aid of your wisdom and friendship. I am deeply thankful for it. It seems unfair, though, not to do the same for Prince T’Challa. He is guilty of abandoning Tony in an hour of great need. So am I.” He had looked at Loki with guilty shining in his eyes. “He has made diplomatic blunders. So have I – Loki could, no doubt, could give you many examples. What is the difference between him and I? Perhaps he could be given the same conditions as I have for acceptance: a probation period in which to prove himself.”

Tony, who hadn’t voiced his opinion until then, had to agree that Thor had a good point. “Let’s give the guy a chance,” he’d said.

In the end, they had decided (not unanimously – Rhodey and Jarvis were still not entirely convinced) to do as Thor had said. So they’d gone back to the Panel with their response, and the Panel had taken their own vote. Again, it had not been unanimous (Romania, Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya had voted against it, though other African nations voted for him), but there had been a majority. The Romanian representative had, however, made it clear his country would not accept T’Challa in it, and that they would expect a formal apology from the Prince along with an admission of guilt for his part in the injures and destruction caused.

Of course, Tony wasn’t going to do into all of that here. It was neither the time nor the place, and, in truth, the internal politics of the Panel was not something the public at large needed to know. Still, they had decided that it would be a good idea to at least explain a little of that at some point. It wouldn’t do to have the people think that the Panel was simply ignoring T’Challa’s previous actions. That, however, was not Tony’s responsibility. The Panel themselves would take care of that – and of that backlash that would inevitably occur. Certainly not everyone was happy with that decision.

“The Black Panther is a reserve member at the moment, as is Thor. More information on what precisely that means will be presented to you soon,” he said. “Thank you.”

With that, he wrapped up the interview and they went home.

Tony himself had not yet spoken to T’Challa, though he knew that the man had asked for a meeting. It wasn’t that he was _angry_ with T’Challa; he’d barely known the guy, so being left behind hadn’t stung as a personal betrayal (not like fucking Rogers). He just… didn’t particularly want to talk to him, didn’t particularly want to hear his apologies. He would have to, he knew that, he was just… stalling.

In truth, he was getting a bit tired of having to babysit these clueless royals, though for some reason it was easier to be compassionate towards Thor than T’Challa. Maybe it was because he knew what a dick Odin was, and that Thor had had a very shitty upbringing with no real parenting or learning. He had no idea what the late King T’Chaka had been like as a father, but he was probably better than that, and T’Challa had still come out a selfish ass.

Well, as long as he got his head out of his ass, Tony could deal with it. Though he did feel like the New Avengers were a bit like family, he was aware that such closeness was not necessary to get the job done. In fact, once the Avengers expanded (especially if they did so as much as he hoped), that would no longer be possible anyway. A good professional relationship was all that was required, and all he honestly thought he’d be able to manage with T’Challa.

This wasn’t about making new friends, after all. It was about getting their defenses ready, and whatever he personally felt about T’Challa, his acceptance would, hopefully, open the door to a greater number of people in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading, kudosing and commenting. I have no idea what's next for this series, but I'll think of something eventually. (I hope.)
> 
> In other news, there will be a new chapter of Reckoning soon, and I've started working on the sequel to A Fruitful Alliance.


End file.
